So many great posts in this thread. The music industry is predatory as StanGIDLE said, and that's in every country. Kids around the world grow up wide eyed, naive, hungering for that big break and to become a global icon like the artists they worship, whether it's Madonna, Britney, Michael, Taylor, Bigbang, Twice, Blackpink, or BTS.
They and their family willing to do anything, sign anything, for those lottery pick odds to become that next superstar.
Kpop slave contracts or 365 deals in the US, however you set it up, they all designed to make labels the most money with as little risk as possible. And i havent even touched on the even darker, more disgusting shit that happens behind closed doors. When you combine rich, influential older power players, usually men, with young desperate artists struggling for that big break....
The fairest way is to prohibit all forms of contracts that require the artist to pay back any money invested in them. If the labels believe in a trainee, let them put up or shut up using their own funds. If the artist hits big, the label will get a huge chunk of the revenue for the risk they took. If the artist flops, then the label has to eat the costs. This will prob result in a LOT LESS idols debuting but this isnt necessarily a bad thing. We know the kinds of abuse that can be inflicted even on idols from bigger "safer" more established companies, imagine what the poor kids are going through in the dozenz of B and C and D tier groups.
I'm ok with just having about 20 girl groups active at any one time. TBH i think only 10-20 are profitable enough to warrant continued activities. If even semi-known girl groups like Weeekly and Everglow cant make it, what are the chances for the dozens of others that have only a fraction of their popularity?