The vivid voices of 30 entertainment industry professionals including HYBE, SM, YG, JYP, and FNC.
The 'real story' of the 'real entertainers' who were shrouded in mystery is revealed...!

This is a collection of interviews containing candid conversations with 30 professionals in the Korean entertainment industry who love and dedicate themselves to their work more persistently than anyone else.
The author, who came from a major entertainment company, asked his colleagues with whom he had shared a difficult time as he left the industry, and they answered his question by sharing their “concerns of today” and “dreams of tomorrow.”

We met with 30 people working in 29 different fields, including casting, A&R, songwriting, composition, visual directing, singers, actors, public relations, marketing, design, legal affairs, and social contribution, and recorded their stories, vivid experiences, and practical insights into their work and lives.


"Unofficial Perspective on the Entertainment Industry" will be a story that resonates and inspires those who are curious about how the artists and content they love came to be, aspiring entertainers and colleagues who dream of a career in the entertainment industry, and everyone who constantly struggles to achieve their dreams on their own life's stage.

“Now that I’ve left the entertainment industry, which I’ve loved for so long, I look back on those days and believe that the reason I was able to love this work so tenaciously was ultimately because of my colleagues and the artists who were by my side.
When I worked day and night with all my might, I would think, 'This is a battlefield,' but I would develop a strong camaraderie with my colleagues who shared moments of intense worry.
In an industry where people are assets and content, there have been many instances where I've been hurt by others, but ironically, it's also been people who have helped me grow and rescued me from hardships every time."
---From the "Prologue"

“Like lovers or couples, I believe that casting is a match made in heaven.”
---From "Audition & Casting, Hyun Woo-jin"

“Only by establishing your own clear standards for ‘good music’ can you select truly good songs from among the countless songs.”
---From "A&R, Park Mi-ran"

“When I see them in the recording studio, I feel like they are not just celebrities, but also people and colleagues.
“The greatest appeal of this job is that I can witness their growth up close and personal.”
---From "Sound Engineering, Bang Dae-hyung"

“Composition is a creative activity that requires artistry, but ultimately, it is a client-centered task.
“It’s a commercial business, so you have to act commercially to survive.”
---From "Composition, Tae-seok Ahn"

“As I worked, I realized that anxiety exists everywhere.
“I made a bold decision with the thought that ‘if I’m going to be anxious anyway, I might as well be anxious while doing what I like.’”
---From "Lyrics by Min Yeon-jae"

“When you stand on stage with an artist, you look radiant, but that moment is fleeting, and the process is incredibly arduous and difficult.”
---From "Choreography, Kim Byeong-gon"

“People say there are a lot of ‘work-crazy people,’ but the entertainment industry is where you can meet even crazier people.
It's clear that this industry requires endless passion, to the point where I always find myself wondering, "Do people really work this hard?"
---From "Visual Directing, Cha Min-soo"

“The important criterion is whether the artist’s thirst is quenched through training.
“The key is to provide direction so that artists can quench their thirst for learning in specific areas and find confidence.”
---From "Training, Park Kyung-jun"

“A manager is like a ‘pacemaker’ to an artist.
“It’s a companion that adjusts the artist’s breathing to match the artist’s steps as he walks.”
---From "Management, Nam Dong-gyu"

“A manager is also like a friend.
“We don’t expect anything from each other, we celebrate happy times together, share sad times together, and just always be there for each other.”
---From "Management, Hwang Deok-hwa"

“Of course I love my job, but I don’t have any grand ambitions to achieve any particular goal.
“If you have ambition, you become obsessed with it, so you end up emptying your mind and letting go.”
---From "Singer, Choi Hyo-jeong"

“Ultimately, I think acting is a profession that can only be completed if there is an audience and viewers.
“Only when people acknowledge your existence as an actor and call you by that name can you truly be reborn as an actor.”
---From "Actor Son Ho-jun"

“Rather than just sticking to things that look cool on the outside when you’re not prepared, you need to build a solid foundation by making what you’ve learned on the job truly your own.
I hope you don't regret the time you spend bumping into things and learning.”
---From "Hair, Ahn Hong-moon"

“It’s not something that requires a lot of equipment or technology to get started.
There is an advantage to being able to learn while working if you just get a certificate, but because it is relatively easy to get started, many people give up quickly.
“Ultimately, the most important thing is to have a vision and to work consistently toward it.”
---From "Makeup, Ancestor's Note"

“I think it’s better to do a series of early morning schedules even if it’s physically tiring than to do boring work all day.
“I’m the kind of person who needs fun to be motivated.”
---From "Stylist, Jeong Sol-ri"

“A physical coach in the entertainment industry must go beyond simply teaching exercise. They must have a comprehensive perspective that includes fashion and beauty trends, and be able to approach it with the sensibility of an artist.
“The difference in quality is made by understanding the artist’s lifestyle, tastes, and image in detail and providing customized training.”
---From "Fitness Care, Lee Ji-hyun"

"Just as it's important to clearly identify and effectively communicate the strengths of an artist or piece of content that people will enjoy, it's equally important to hide and package the less appealing aspects so they're as unobtrusive as possible."
---From "Marketing, Jiyoung Byun"

“You don’t have to rush.
I also did other things after graduation, but eventually I came around and ended up in the entertainment industry, which is what I wanted to do.
The time I spent learning at other companies before was never wasted.
Rather than dreaming of grand ideals from the beginning, I think it's not too late to do what you want after accumulating various experiences."
---From "Distribution, Kim Hyo-eun"

“When I work, I don’t want to be ‘A’, I want to be ‘Super B’.
If you want to become the person you want to be, you have to constantly evolve and not stagnate.
“The reason I want to challenge myself in a new field while changing jobs is to avoid stagnation.”
---From "Public Relations, Bae Da-hyun"

“I believe that if I can stay in touch with the artist I'm in charge of, I'll be able to secure at least one more advertisement, so I try to stay in touch with them at all times, regardless of whether I'm on vacation or not.”
---From "Advertisement, Jeong Nan-hee"

“It’s clear that there is a burden as the number of people who are good at video production increases.
The basic quality has also improved significantly compared to before, and the public's perspective on videos has become more detailed.
These days, short-form content is the trend, and many experts are highlighting that field as their strength. However, entertainment video teams need to be well-versed in a variety of content formats.”
---From "Video, An Ju-hee"

“I think the rapport between the person taking the photo and the person being photographed is important.
If the relationship is awkward, the poses and expressions will be frozen, but if you become close, the results will inevitably be much more natural.
“The more actors trust me, the more fun and high-quality content I can create.”
---From "Photo, Kim Hye-rim"

“There’s something addictive about the hectic pace of projects and the rapid feedback on output.
But now that I've been working hard and pushing my body, I realize it.
“To work for a long time, healthy physical distribution and mental management are essential.”
---From "Design, Rachel (Jang Ji-min)"

“Entertainment is essentially a ‘people’-centered business.
“People are the main content, but they are also colleagues and partners.”
---From "Global Business, Lee Kyo-yeon"

“I think it’s a difficult industry to survive in without a ‘geek’ mindset.
“It’s not just about appreciating the performance and saying, ‘The performance is fun.’ You need to have your own perspective on the performance and be able to see the whole picture.”
---From "Performance, Kang In-ah"

“Entertainment has a really strange and peculiar charm.
Even when I try to quit and rest, I end up going back in because I miss it, and even when I work too hard, there are times when my energy level goes up.
“I guess it’s because there are moments when your heart races so much that you forget all the hardships.”
---From "Fan Marketing, Lee Yeon-ji"

“The MD planning team can realize the artist’s individuality and charm in various ways beyond the framework of the album.
“This is a team that can really do anything.”
---From "MD Planning, Park So-young"

“Artists are more than just coworkers.
They are the face and representative of the company, and it is our role to make them shine.
Even if the artist does 10 things and I only do 1, I try to do my job well.
“Because that little part can’t be shaken.”
---From "Management Support, Ho-Hyeon Lee"

“In litigation, the most important thing is to find a strategy to win against your opponent, but in the entertainment industry, there are many problems that don’t have a right answer.
It's not enough to simply solve it in legal terms; there are times when you have to explain it in a way that's easy for the public to understand, or even break out of the existing framework itself.
“To persuade public opinion and maintain interest, we must be careful not to appear as a boring story.”
---From "Legal Affairs, Woo Ji-hyun"

“The appeal of the Enter Social Contribution Team lies not only in its social impact and influence, but also in its ability to offer the most trendy experiences.
Social contribution may seem a bit far from trendy, but when combined with entertainment, it can create the ultimate result that satisfies the public, alongside artists and top partners.”

---From "Social Contribution, Kang San-hee"