How To Become A Manager To K-pop Idols & Korean Actors

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a K-pop idol manager or a manager to a Korean actor?

I'm sure we've definitely envied the closeness of our favourite Korean celebrity and their managers!

BTS SUGA & His Manager

Recently, shows like Point Of Omniscient Interfere have been attracting more attention to the life of a celebrity manager in Korea.

Let's take a look at some of the interesting details of what their job entails!

Manager Positions

SEVENTEEN Manager mentioning they spend over 1 million KRW just for food per day

Managers are in charge of managing their artists. From organizing their schedules to taking care of the things that go into finishing the schedules smoothly, idol and actor managers stay busy on a daily.

However, did you guys know that not all managers do the same tasks?

Roughly, manager positions are divided into road manager, chief manager and head manager.

Let's take a look at what each of these positions is in charge of!

1. Road Manager

Park Sung-kwang's manager Yim Song on Point Of Omniscient Interfere gained a lot of popularity on the show.

Road managers are the ones who are always on-site with the artists. These managers are probably the ones we usually think of when we hear the word idol managers, right?

These managers are usually the ones who've just started in the field. They build their way up from the road manager position.

The managers take the artists to their busy schedules and stay with them 24/7.

SEVENTEEN's manager preparing meals for the 13 members

Road managers are always responsible for driving the artists to places and sometimes have to ensure their security especially when in crowded places.

So a driver's license is a must as well as smooth driving skills!

Because road managers are pretty much on the same schedule as the artists, they rarely get time to themselves and working day and night is exhausting.

2. Chief Manager

When road managers are 3 to 5 years into their position, they get promoted to chief manager.

A chief manager will have a couple of road managers under them. The chief manager will delegate schedules to the road managers depending on the artists' schedules.

Another important task of chief managers is to plan events, manage public image and adjust schedules for the artists!

They oversee and manage all the daily, weekly and monthly plans.

SEVENTEEN manager monitoring the group's performance on a show

For example, if an idol group has a shooting for a variety show, the chief manager will review what the show is about and determine if the show will have a positive impact on the group's image.

The chief managers will also have discussions and meetings with the crew to make sure the show contents align with the idol group.

3. Head Manager

Super Junior having a schedule meeting with their manager of 15 years under his lead

If a chief manager works in the industry for a long time and performs well, they get promoted to head manager.

Head managers are given huge responsibilities including building strong business relationships with producers of broadcasting companies, taking charge of marketing the group and signing casting agreements.

At this level, they are managing a whole idol group or a Korean celebrity.

A head manager, who started as road manager and built their way up, is truly considered a professional in the entertainment industry.

They also boast a huge network within the industry. Many also found their own entertainment agency.

Big companies like Namoo Actors, Woollim Entertainment (Infinite and Lovelyz), DSP (Kara, Kard and April), Source Music (Gfriend) were all founded by former managers!

Salaries

Frankly, idol and celebrity managers don't get paid much. It differs by companies but generally, it is known as one of the lowest-paying jobs in Korea.

Road managers, even at big entertainment agencies, get paid minimum wage (8,792 KRW). Plus, they are almost always working overtime, meaning it's likely they're getting paid way less than minimum wage.

Once a road manager gets promoted to chief manager and head manager, their salaries also go up!

Generally, they get paid around 2 million to 3 million KRW per month (approx. 1800 to 2700 USD).

Sometimes, we'll see high-paid managers. Instead of belonging to an entertainment company, these managers are likely to have signed one-on-one contracts with their celebrity.

How To Become An Idol / Celebrity Manager

So how do you become a manager to a K-pop idol or a Korean celebrity?

Because they have to be in charge of everything that goes around their artists, entertainment companies tend to want someone who already has a verified CV.

In the past, most managers were hired through personal and business connections and recommendations!

Nowadays, you'll often find job postings online, where the hiring process doesn't differ much from that of other jobs in Korea.

Qualifications Of A Manager

Not many qualifications, other than a driver's license, are required in the beginning as most start as a road manager.

There are entertainment management programs at Gyeonggi University, Dong-ah Institute Of Media And Arts and Seoul Institute Of The Arts. Some companies even have their own curriculum, but they are known to come with very little practicality.

Most managers learn and grow the most on the job, on-site.

So the most important part of being a celebrity manager in Korea is the personality.

Because managers deal with celebrities and everyone else involved in the industry, they tend to be outgoing and social.

Building and maintaining great relationships in the industry are essential.

Because things tend to differ by celebrity, program/show, broadcasting company, and entertainment company, the ability to read the room is key.

Someone with quick wits and problem-solving skills would be perfect for an idol manager!

The Hardships Of Being A Celebrity Manager

Many of you guys probably already know. The hardest part about being an idol or celebrity manager is the crazy work schedule.

Especially road managers, who have to travel everywhere with the celebrities, work early morning to late night.

Many of the times, they have to be ready before the celebrities are and end the day after dropping them off at home, so they might even work longer hours than them.

Many managers say when people look at them like the celebrity's subordinates, they feel bad about the way they're treated.

A lot of the time, managers have to put in an effort to please the celebrities to make sure they're in the best mood before their next schedule.

A manager to an old superstar actor exposed that he and his wife made him do house chores like recycling and getting shoes repaired.

If an artist respects what their managers do for them, then they'll build a great relationship. Otherwise, things could get hard.

The Relationship Between A Manager And Their Artist

출처: 서경스타

Although managers do all the things listed above, their jobs were often overlooked.

But when IU, BTS, EXO and many other celebrities started showing their appreciation for their managers and maintaining great relationships with them, fans and the public started appreciating the occupation a lot more too!

Long-time managers to an idol or a celebrity even have nicknames made by the fans!

If you want to see more of Korea's idol and celebrity managers, Point Of Omniscient Interfere is a great show to check out as it dives further into the world of celebrity managers.

In this blog, we explored what celebrity managers do, what qualifications are needed to become one and salaries.

It's definitely a high-demanding job with a lot of work! But it's also a rewarding job where you can see your idols or celebrities grow their career firsthand.