[COVER STORY] Kids on stage: How young is too young to debut in K-pop?

A2O LITE debuted in October with nine members who are all minors, including three 13-year-olds, renewing debate over protections for young K-pop performers in Korea. The law limits minors’ working hours and night work, but does not cover pre-debut training and provides no direct penalty specifically for breaching those limits. A 2025 amendment added protections and agency oversight requirements, while critics say implementation remains uneven. Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said the roles young performers are given matter, particularly whether they are shaped to fit adult tastes.

A2O LITE held its debut showcase on Oct. 12 and released its first single, Neon, the following day; the song topped Melon’s Top 100 about 29 hours after release.

Performers under 15 are generally limited to 35 hours of work a week and cannot work from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; with consent, they may work until midnight before a school holiday.

The 2025 amendment requires agencies to designate a youth protection officer and prohibits forcing minors to miss or leave school, excessive appearance management, and verbal or physical abuse.

A study presented at a Sept. 30 National Assembly forum interviewed 16 people with idol or trainee experience; their average age when they began training was 15.9.

A proposed 2023 bill included a 25-hour weekly work limit for children under 12, but it was scrapped when the 21st National Assembly’s term ended in May 2024.

Published Oct 22, 2026 11:34 am KST

A2O LITE's 13-year-old lineup revives debate over how well Korea protects child performers

Members of K-pop girl group A2O LITE perform during A2O Entertainment's global debut showcase, "Welcome to Soulite From A2O SOUL A2O LITE," at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 12. Yonhap

A2O LITE, a K-pop act that debuted last week, gained attention not only because its debut single "Neon" topped Melon's Top 100 chart about 29 hours after its release, but also due to the fact that three of the nine members — Ayune, Oa and Aijing — are 13 years old.

The group, launched by former SM Entertainment chief producer Lee Soo-man through A2O Entertainment, held its debut showcase on Oct. 12 and released its first single the following day. All nine members are minors.

The lineup, which notably consisted of members born in 2013, has revived a question K-pop has long left unresolved — whether Korea's protections for child performers, built largely around weekly hour caps and contract clauses, are adequate for children who reach the stage before finishing middle school.

K-pop singer BoA is seen in this photo taken shortly after her debut at age 13 in 2000. Korea Times file

Early debuts are nothing new, least of all for Lee. Solo singer BoA debuted under him at the age of 13 in 2000, while SHINee's Taemin and f(x)'s Krystal were 14 when they debuted in 2008 and 2009, respectively. NCT DREAM debuted in 2016 with its youngest members at 14.

Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said Lee's approach reflects an understanding of how short an idol's career can be.

"K-pop singers need time to find their footing, and the public's appetite for a certain idol doesn't last forever, so their peak years are actually quite short," Jung told The Korea Times. "Debuting young buys them more of that time."

Early teenage debuts have continued across successive generations of K-pop.

HyunA from girl group Wonder Girls was 14 years old when she debuted in 2007 under JYP Entertainment, followed by a 14-year-old Taemin when he debuted as a member of SHINee the following year.

Jang Won-young of girl group IVE was 14 when she first debuted with the project group IZ*ONE in 2018, while ENHYPEN's Ni-ki was 14 when the group launched in 2020.

IVE's youngest member, Leeseo, was also 14 when the group debuted in 2021, while BABYMONSTER debuted in 2023 with 14-year-old Chiquita. UNIS, formed through the SBS audition show "Universe Ticket," debuted in March 2024 with 13-year-old Lim Seo-won.

Rules on paper, gaps in practice

Korea's Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act generally limits performers under 15 to 35 working hours a week when providing services for entertainment productions and prohibits such work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. An exception allows them to work until midnight with their own and their parent's or guardian's consent if the following day is a school holiday.

For teenage performers aged 15 and older, the weekly limit is 40 hours, extendable by agreement by up to one hour a day and six hours a week. They may work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with their own and their parent's or guardian's consent.

An amendment that took effect in August 2025 banned agencies from forcing minors to miss or drop out of school, imposing excessive appearance management or subjecting them to verbal or physical abuse.

It also required agencies to designate a youth protection officer to manage working hours and review contracts.

K-pop girl group UNIS performs "Superwoman" during a media showcase for its first EP, "WE UNIS," at Yes24 Live Hall in Seoul's Gwangjin District, March 27, 2024. Lim Seo-won, the group's youngest member, who was 13 at the time, is at right in the front row. Yonhap

Yet the law provides no direct penalty specifically for breaching its working-hour and overnight-work limits and relies only on administrative action. Failure to comply with a culture ministry corrective order can result in an administrative fine of up to 10 million won. The act also sets no specific penalty for a youth protection officer's failure to carry out those duties.

The hour caps also apply only to work on productions such as broadcasts and recordings, leaving out the years of training before debut. And because courts have generally not recognized idols as "employees," the Labor Standards Act, which bars employing children under 15 without a government permit, typically does not apply.

An interview study presented at a Sept. 30 National Assembly forum also offered a recent look at the conditions young trainees face.

The Child and Youth Media Human Rights Network interviewed 16 people with idol or trainee experience, whose average age when they began training was 15.9. The findings describe severe food restrictions, malnutrition, fainting and missed periods, alongside isolation, competitive pressure and difficulties maintaining school life.

New K-pop audition show under fire for allegedly exploiting minors

How young performers are presented in the industry has also drawn scrutiny.

Girl group NewJeans, whose youngest member was 14 during debut, faced criticism in 2022 over claims that the lyrics of "Cookie" contained sexual innuendo, which its agency, Ador, later denied. In 2025, MBN's audition show "Under15" was canceled days before its premiere amid accusations that it sexualized children.

Jung said debuting young is no longer taboo as Korean pop culture has grown, but the roles young performers are given matter.

"Starting young isn't taboo anymore," Jung said. "What matters is the role they're asked to play. If they're doing what they want and what suits them, that's fine. The problem is when they're shaped to fit adult tastes."

"If they're allowed to be their age and genuinely enjoy what they do, rather than performing something manufactured for them, there won't be as much backlash."

In 2023, lawmakers sought to tighten the caps by age, including a 25-hour weekly limit for children under 12. Five industry associations called the change unrealistic for groups whose members span different ages.

The bill was scrapped when the 21st National Assembly's term ended in May 2024, and the age-banded limits were left out of the 2025 amendment.

Other countries draw finer lines. In England, child performers need a local authority license, and those aged 9 or older may perform or rehearse no more than five hours a day, with three hours of schooling on school days.

Korea sets no minimum debut age, and civic groups have called for rules tailored to children's development.

Lawyer Kim Doo-na of Hope and Law, who spoke as a panelist at the Sept. 30 forum, said conditions on the ground have changed little since the 2025 amendment.

"Practices vary by agency, but the circumstances that lead trainees to leave school, the lack of adequate rest and the intensely competitive environment don't appear to have changed significantly," she told The Korea Times.

"Implementation of the amendment has been uneven. Some agencies seem unaware of the new requirements, and in a number of cases, even existing rules are not being put into practice," she said, calling for further refinement in the framework, along with stronger oversight from the culture ministry.

"This is not only a K-pop issue. Korean society is accustomed to a culture of hard work, which makes change difficult," Kim added. "More concrete measures are needed, and I hope the public, not just the industry, will pay attention to the realities behind the stage and help look after the people in it."

A2O LITE于10月出道，其九名成员均为未成年人，其中三名年仅13岁，这再次引发了关于韩国年轻K-pop艺人保护问题的讨论。现行法律限制未成年人的工作时间和夜间工作，但并未涵盖出道前的训练，也没有针对违反这些限制的行为规定具体的处罚措施。2025年的一项修正案增加了保护措施和经纪公司监管要求，但批评人士指出，该修正案的执行力度仍然参差不齐。文化评论家郑德铉表示，年轻艺人的角色至关重要，尤其是这些角色是否迎合成年人的口味。

A2O LITE 于 10 月 12 日举行了出道发布会，并在第二天发布了首支单曲《Neon》；该曲在发布约 29 小时后登上了 Melon 排行榜前 100 名的榜首。

15 岁以下的表演者通常每周工作时间限制为 35 小时，并且不能在晚上 10 点至早上 6 点之间工作；经同意，他们可以在学校假期前工作到午夜。

2025 年的修正案要求各机构指定一名青少年保护官员，并禁止强迫未成年人旷课或辍学、过度管束未成年人的外貌以及进行言语或身体虐待。

9 月 30 日在国会论坛上发表的一项研究采访了 16 位有偶像或练习生经历的人；他们开始接受训练时的平均年龄为 15.9 岁。

2023 年提出的一项法案规定，12 岁以下儿童每周工作时间不得超过 25 小时，但该法案在 2024 年 5 月第 21 届国民议会任期结束时被废除。

发布于2026年10月22日上午11:34（韩国标准时间）

A2O LITE 13岁生日阵容再次引发关于韩国对童星保护力度的讨论

10月12日，韩国女子组合A2O LITE成员在京畿道高阳市KINTEX举行的A2O娱乐全球出道Showcase“Welcome to Soulite From A2O SOUL A2O LITE”上进行表演。（韩联社）

上周出道的韩国流行音乐组合 A2O LITE 之所以受到关注，不仅是因为其出道单曲《Neon》在发行约 29 小时后登上了 Melon 排行榜前 100 名的榜首，还因为九名成员中有三名——Ayune、Oa 和 Aijing——只有 13 岁。

该组合由前SM娱乐公司首席制作人李秀满通过A2O娱乐公司推出，于10月12日举行了出道Showcase，并于次日发行了首支单曲。所有九名成员均为未成年人。

该组合的成员大多出生于 2013 年，这再次引发了 K-pop 界长期以来悬而未决的一个问题——韩国对童星的保护措施（主要围绕每周演出时长上限和合同条款）是否足以保护那些在中学毕业前就登上舞台的儿童。

这张照片拍摄于2000年，当时年仅13岁的韩国流行歌手BoA刚刚出道不久。（韩国时报档案照片）

早早出道并非新鲜事，对李宗伟来说更是如此。2000年，13岁的歌手宝儿(BoA)在他的一手打造下出道；SHINee的泰民和f(x)的Krystal分别在2008年和2009年出道时年仅14岁；NCT DREAM于2016年出道，当时队内最小的成员也只有14岁。

文化评论家郑德贤表示，李的做法体现了他对偶像生涯短暂的理解。

郑秀妍告诉《韩国时报》：“K-pop歌手需要时间来站稳脚跟，公众对某个偶像的热情也不会永远持续下去，所以他们的巅峰期其实很短暂。年轻出道能让他们拥有更长的巅峰期。”

在韩国流行音乐界，青少年早期出道的现象一直延续至今。

女子组合 Wonder Girls 的成员泫雅在 2007 年以 14 岁的身份在 JYP Entertainment 出道，紧随其后的是 14 岁的泰民，他于次年以 SHINee 成员的身份出道。

女子组合 IVE 的成员张元英在 2018 年以限定组合 IZ*ONE 成员身份出道时年仅 14 岁，而 ENHYPEN 的成员 Ni-ki 在 2020 年该组合出道时也是 14 岁。

IVE 的忙内 Leeseo 在 2021 年出道时也是 14 岁，而 BABYMONSTER 则在 2023 年由 14 岁的 Chiquita 出道。UNIS 通过 SBS 选秀节目《宇宙门票》组建，于 2024 年 3 月由 13 岁的 Lim Seo-won 出道。

纸面上的规则，实际操作中的漏洞

韩国《大众文化艺术产业振兴法》一般规定，表演者在为娱乐作品提供服务时，每周工作时间不得少于 15 至 35 小时，并禁止在晚上 10 点至早上 6 点之间工作。但如果第二天是学校假期，则允许他们在本人及其父母或监护人的同意下工作到午夜。

对于15岁及以上的青少年表演者，每周工作时间上限为40小时，经双方同意可每天增加最多1小时，每周增加最多6小时。经本人及其父母或监护人同意，他们可以在晚上10点至早上6点之间工作。

2025 年 8 月生效的一项修正案禁止机构强迫未成年人旷课或辍学，对未成年人进行过度的外貌管理，或对他们进行言语或身体虐待。

该规定还要求各机构指定一名青少年保护官员来管理工作时间和审查合同。

2024年3月27日，韩国女子组合UNIS在首尔广津区Yes24 Live Hall举行首张迷你专辑《WE UNIS》的媒体发布会，并表演了歌曲《Superwoman》。当时年仅13岁的组合忙内林瑞媛（Lim Seo-won）位于前排右侧。（韩联社）

然而，该法律并未对违反工时和夜班限制的行为规定具体的直接处罚，仅依赖行政处罚。不遵守文化部整改令者，可能被处以最高1000万韩元的行政罚款。该法也未对青少年保护官员未能履行职责的情况规定具体的处罚措施。

工时限制仅适用于广播、录音等制作工作，不包括出道前的训练阶段。而且，由于法院通常不承认偶像属于“雇员”，因此禁止雇用15岁以下儿童而未取得政府许可的《劳动基准法》通常也不适用。

9 月 30 日在国民议会论坛上发表的一项访谈研究也对年轻学员面临的状况进行了最新观察。

儿童和青少年媒体人权网络采访了 16 位有偶像或练习生经历的人，他们开始训练时的平均年龄为 15.9 岁。调查结果描述了严重的食物限制、营养不良、晕厥和月经不调，以及孤立、竞争压力和难以兼顾学业等问题。

一档新的韩国流行音乐选秀节目因涉嫌剥削未成年人而受到抨击

年轻演员在行业中的形象塑造也引起了人们的关注。

女子组合NewJeans出道时最小的成员只有14岁，2022年，她们的歌曲《Cookie》因歌词被指含有性暗示而受到批评，其经纪公司Ador随后否认了这一指控。2025年，MBN电视台的选秀节目《Under15》在首播前几天因被指控性化儿童而被取消。

郑秀妍表示，随着韩国流行文化的发展，年轻出道已不再是禁忌，但年轻艺人被赋予的角色很重要。

“从小开始学习已经不再是禁忌了，”荣格说。“重要的是他们被要求扮演什么角色。如果他们做的是自己想做的、适合自己的事，那就没问题。问题在于，当他们被塑造成符合成年人口味的样子时。”

“如果允许他们按照自己的年龄去做自己真正喜欢的事情，而不是表演一些为他们量身定制的东西，就不会有那么多的负面反应。”

2023 年，立法者试图收紧按年龄划分的工时上限，包括对 12 岁以下儿童每周 25 小时的工时限制。五个行业协会称，对于成员年龄跨度较大的群体来说，这种改变是不切实际的。

该法案在2024年5月第21届国民议会任期结束时被废除，而2025年的修正案中也没有包含年龄段限制。

其他国家的规定更为细致。在英国，儿童表演者需要获得地方政府的许可，9岁及以上的儿童每天表演或排练时间不得超过5小时，且上学日必须保证3小时的课程。

韩国没有规定最低出柜年龄，民间团体呼吁制定适合儿童发展的规则。

在 9 月 30 日的论坛上，希望与法律律师事务所的律师金斗娜作为小组成员发言，她表示，自 2025 年修正案通过以来，实际情况几乎没有改变。

她告诉《韩国时报》：“各机构的做法不尽相同，但导致学员辍学的种种情况，例如缺乏充足的休息以及竞争激烈的环境，似乎并没有发生显著变化。”

她表示：“修正案的执行情况参差不齐。一些机构似乎不了解新的要求，而且在很多情况下，甚至现有的规则都没有得到落实。”她呼吁进一步完善框架，并加强文化部的监督。

“这不仅仅是K-pop圈的问题。韩国社会习惯了努力奋斗的文化，这使得改变变得困难，”金补充道。“我们需要更具体的措施，我希望公众，而不仅仅是行业人士，能够关注舞台背后的现实，并帮助照顾那些身处其中的人们。”