Former ARIAZ member Hyokyung has ignited controversy with shocking claims about the K-pop industry’s underbelly, mentioning the existence of so-called "sugar daddies" and calling out structural problems. As the backlash grew, Hyokyung posted a clarification.
Recently, on her YouTube channel, she said, "If you ask, 'Are there sugar daddies in K-pop?'—to be honest, yes," explaining that she struggled with whether to raise the topic but shared it in hopes of preventing similar incidents.
In the video, Hyokyung brought up a case she said she witnessed during her promotion days. A "sugar daddy" refers to someone who provides various support to a younger partner in exchange for dates. According to Hyokyung, a member at a small agency was reportedly dating the much older company CEO and received favorable parts and positions regardless of skill. She added that this had spread like an open secret across the industry.
Hyokyung also pointed out the challenges trainees and rookie actors face. Citing a friend’s case, she said the friend met with a company staffer after being eliminated, experienced an uncomfortable situation, and ultimately gave up on her dream. "This isn’t confined to one specific area—it can happen in many fields," she said.
She also revealed part of her own experience. After her group disbanded and she began pursuing acting, she received an offer for a lead role but declined after seeing a script that included exposure scenes, saying that, after much thought, it didn’t align with the path she had prepared for over a long time.
As a backdrop to these cases, Hyokyung criticized a structure that seems to exploit the income-less rookie phase. Even so, she said, "I chose my current life instead," expressing satisfaction with her day-to-day as a vocal coach.
However, as speculation grew that her remarks were tied to a specific agency, Hyokyung drew a clear line in a follow-up video. She stressed, "What I mentioned in the video is only part of the story and has nothing to do with my former agency." She added, "I personally explained it to my former agency’s CEO and cleared up the misunderstanding."
Hyokyung first gained recognition through JTBC’s audition program MIXNINE in 2017 and debuted with ARIAZ in 2019. Since the team ended activities in 2022, she has been running her YouTube channel while working as a vocal coach.