Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1297180/koreas-fame-academies
Lifestyle/ Arts & Culture

Korea's 'Fame' academies

K-pop's growing global reach has seen a boom in music and dance academies as young South Koreans aspire to be stars

(From left)Singers Yoon Jong-shin, Lee Seung-chul and Lee Ha-neul, judges of singing contest Superstar K5. Photos: NYT, EPA, Xinhua

Kim Chae-young attends cram school five evenings a week, toiling deep into the night. But unlike most young South Koreans who spend hours at special schools to polish their English and maths, she studies slide steps and bubbly lyrics.

"I want to become a K-pop icon, one like Psy," says Chae-young, 13, referring to the South Korean rapper of the viral video Gangnam Style. "All these hours I spend here are an investment in that dream."