Whether it’s BTS, Blackpink or even Aespa (which made its global debut at Coachella just last week), many people are familiar with K-pop’s success stories. Plenty of K-pop idols are popular not just in Korea, but also around the globe too. However, although some stars are raking in the cash, wealth and widespread fame is not as common as you might think. Many who train to become an idol do not get to debut despite years of preparation and even if they do debut, idols are not guaranteed success following their entry into the competitive industry. This invites the question: what happens to idols who don’t make it big? Well, unsurprisingly, they often choose to shift careers – and some end up far from showbiz. Here are four female former idols who found jobs elsewhere. 1. AOA’s Mina works at a skincare clinic When Kwon Mina of AOA dropped out of the group in 2019, her agency refused to give a reason for her sudden departure, according to Soompi. But fans speculated that it might have had to do with the bullying allegations that she made against former bandmate Jimin. Despite getting embroiled in a year-long scandal that brought to light K-pop’s hidden bullying issue, Mina seems to have gotten back on her feet with a new career. In January 2022, she appeared in a live YouTube broadcast by Exorcist Lee Yoo Yeob where she announced that she had started working at a skincare clinic. 5 times Blackpink’s Lisa proved she’s Thailand’s unofficial princess “I recently began working at a skincare clinic run by someone I know. I also plan to continue my activities with a new YouTube channel this year,” she said. 2. AOA’s Yuna became a yoga instructor View this post on Instagram A post shared by ʏᴜɴᴀ sᴇᴏ (@yn_s_1230) Mina’s fellow AOA bandmate Seo Yu-na is also thriving in a different industry. After leaving FNC Entertainment at the start of 2021, she announced on her Instagram page that she had gotten a yoga teaching certificate and is now working as a yoga instructor. She has since kept her followers updated on her life as a yoga teacher, frequently posting photos of herself in complicated yoga and Pilates poses. 3. Pristin’s Kyla was spotted working as a cashier at a carnival In 2017, Kyla Massie of Pristin announced that she was going to be taking a hiatus from group activities due to an injury, according to Koreaboo. It then came as a surprise to many when she was spotted working as a cashier at a Los Angeles carnival despite still being an idol, per the same source. Kyla (Pristin) foi vista trabalhando em um parque local nos Estados Unidos. A artista está em hiatus desde que os knetz começaram uma campanha contra ela com ataques de gordofobia. A Pledis alega que ela foi para casa para cuidar da saúde, e com isso tem adiado o comeback do Pristin. Os fãs, após o surgimento desse vídeo, têm pedido um posicionamento da Pledis. O que você acha dessa situação? . Kyla (Pristin) fue vista trabajando en un parque local en los Estados Unidos. La artista está en hiatus desde que los knetz comenzaron una campaña contra ella con ataques de gordofobia. Pledis alega que ella fue a casa para cuidar la salud, y con eso ha pospuesto la reaparición del Pristin. Los fans, después del surgimiento de este vídeo, han pedido un posicionamiento de Pledis. ¿Qué piensas de esta situación? Vídeo: https://twitter.com/Gru4IfbKlfU #Kyla #Pristin #Pledis #SayKNews Posted by Say K News on Wednesday, 17 October 2018 While it seemed like it was only meant to be a part-time gig, Kyla was unfortunately unable to return to the stage as a K-pop star. In 2019, Pristin disbanded before Kyla made an official return to the group. 5 things to know about Park Seo-joon, Marvel’s next Korean star 4. Dia’s Somyi became an adult content streamer Ahn Somyi did not participate in promotions with her girl group, Dia, for three years before the announcement came in January 2022 that her contract had been terminated. Despite her company stating that it was due to health reasons, many believe that the real reason might be due to her participation in adult content creation. A year before she left the group, Somyi became a broadcasting jockey with Panda TV, an adult streaming platform that frequently features girls in racy clothing. While many fans expressed disappointment with her decision to work in that industry, other fans argued that she earns more money as a jockey than she did as an idol. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 안솜이 (@somsom_o0o) Somyi has not addressed the controversy around her career change, but she has posted a few photos of herself in revealing attire on her Instagram. Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .