"Korean idol groups are exceptional in every way. �You can easily tell that they have received a lot of training." - Akimoto Yasushi, producer of popular Japanese idol group,�AKB48 "Our headquarters already benchmarked the Korean training system. We are studying it intensely." - Surachai Sensely, biggest music production company in Thailand Korean idol groups, the driving force behind the new 'Hallyu Wave', are essentially the result of Spartan-like training. �Music producers in Southeast Asia have already been observing the birth of Korean idol groups closely from the beginning, but what kind of training do these idol groups really receive? Kyung Hyang heard the behind-the-scenes story directly from the four membered girl group JQT, who debuted two years ago, recently releasing their mini album, "Peekaboo". - Their day starts before 10 AM, after the members have cleaned up and eaten breakfast in their dorm located in Seoul, Shinsadong. A Korean-American teacher visits their dorm every morning to teach English for two hours. A topic is created every day and discussed in English, as well as having daily tests and homework assignments. After eating lunch, at 1 PM, the members go to their training room near their dorm. After stretching lightly to warm up their bodies, the members then practice on their own for two hours. Dances and songs are practiced, in addition to preparing for various assignments. It's 3 PM now, and JQT elaborated on their practice sessions, saying, "Two teachers that are in charge of vocal and rap training teach us in turns for two hours. The songs vary from American pop songs to current popular songs. In the beginning, we started with vocalization techniques. Every Friday, we are trained by an acting coach who teaches us how to express our emotions and acting in general. We sometimes invite comedians and are trained in individual skills and talents." The members have not only planned to do music, but kept dramas and variety shows in their minds as well. After enjoying a short break while eating dinner, JQT members start their two hour choreography class at 8 PM. They usually learn simple dances and choreography, while also learning professional genres such as hip-hop, jazz, and latin. The tired members finally head back to their dorm after practicing until after midnight. "We keep a scorecard for every class. Based on our performance, we get either A, B, or C. Our attitudes toward classes are recorded and revealed to us individually. It's harsh but it stirs up our interests for the class". Weekends are considered a luxury for the idol group. Even on Sundays, they have the same training schedule, except for language class. After attending church early in the morning, they go watch movies with their manager once or twice a month, and that is considered their best break. - JQT debuted in 2009 after surviving two years of Spartan-like training. Even after debuting, they still keep the same schedule except when they're promoting their album, and it seems as if they are continuing their�strict training for four years. Before, they had one hour workout sessions to improve their lung capacity and health, but after slacking off and hiding out in cafes, the workout sessions were removed. The members laughed, "Our choreography sessions got tougher as a result". How must the members feel, training hard during the time of their lives they should be having the most fun? Although the public views their training as being too harsh and just awful, they are taking it in positively. "We recently performed in Cambodia, and even their top idols couldn't touch our excellent skills. It's like a nationally ranked team competing against a high school team." JQT member�Gajin said, "It's an extremely hard process, but I can see my skills improving gradually. It's why K-pop artists are differentiated from other country's artists". �Another member, Jieun, added, "We get more structured training than others who pay schools to train and teach them things." - Although Asia is paying attention to the Korean training system, the Korean public is actually looking at in deep concern. To this negative view, JQT commented, "It's like any other training system athletes go through, such as swimmer Park Tae Hwan and skater Kim Yu Na." Other than JQT's agency, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and many other entertainment companies operate under this type of strict training program. Trainees in SM Entertainment are trained in dancing, singing, acting, and foreign languages. There's even a 'China Camp' that sends trainees to China to learn Chinese intensively for a month, and�Super Junior's Si Won and SNSD's Hyoyeon reportedly participated in the camp. JYP Entertainment tests its trainees every month, and�2AM's Jo Kwon &�miss A's Min trained for seven and eight years, respectively. Because trainees and singers are investing their youth, the success and failure, and happiness and disappointment, that come with the industry varies greatly. It seems as though what you see on the outside does not always reflect what happens on the inside. Source: Kyung Hyang via Nate