SM Entertainment will launch a private “idol school” in the prestigious neighbourhood of Daechi-dong in Gangnam, which is notorious for its competitive schools and for having hundreds of academies and private after-school programmes.
According to a news report on March 14, SM Entertainment will open its doors to the label’s private “idol school” on March 15.
The news report states that the school will target high schoolers who will forego their school studies in favour of debuting in the entertainment industry. According to the report, the school will offer a three-year programme, and each semester will cost its students up to ₩10.0 million KRW, or about $7,710.
It is being reported that SM Entertainment has also joined hands with model agency ESTEEM to further its curriculum. During the three years, students will be able to learn how to produce music and offer vocal, dance, modelling, and acting classes.
An SM Universe representative reportedly confirmed that the school would be mainly targeting High School dropouts, stating that due to the rigors of its curriculum, it would be difficult for students to attend school and the academy.
A statement from SM Universe read, “GED courses will be given to students at the beginning of their first semesters for three hours a day. Because there are lessons from the morning to the afternoon, it will be difficult for students to keep up with their school work and so we are targeting students who have dropped out.”
Netizens couldn’t help but express scepticism to the news, while others went as far as claiming the school was exploitative. Some netizens noted that it seemed as if the label was trying to pass off the expenses incurred by trainees to the trainees themselves.
