By Dong Sun-hwa, Video by Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-min

For aspiring K-pop singer Jeon Sung-won, 19, time flies like an arrow. During weekdays, he spends five hours after school taking vocal and piano lessons. On weekends and holidays, his practice begins at 10 a.m. and continues until midnight. Jeon has been repeating this routine for more than a year.

It is physically and mentally strenuous. But Jeon cannot ease off, knowing how competitive it is to achieve his dream ― the number of aspiring singers in Korea is estimated to be more than a million, according to several industry sources.

Life of a K-pop singer hopeful

"As a K-pop singer hopeful, I know nothing is guaranteed in my future," Jeon said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. "So I am always uneasy. Endless practice is the only way to get rid of anxiety."

Even on the interview day, Jeon danced to K-pop boy band EXO's latest release "Love Shot" until he dripped with sweat, and sang member Chen's solo song "Beautiful Goodbye" until his voice cracked. Without a long break, he walked into the piano room.

Jeon said he was not the only one going through tough times. Even talented hopefuls strive for better, he says.

"Nevertheless, they hardly pass the auditions held by record labels," he said. "Many of them give up their dream on the way, after making several attempts."

In fact, to survive the audition, an applicant has to beat odds of one in thousands. Actress Go A-ra, who passed the audition of SM Entertainment ― one of the "Big 3" music powerhouses in Korea, along with YG and JYP ― has revealed she had to edge out some 8,000 rivals.

According to Jeon, most aspiring singers are teenagers and they also prepare for the college entrance exam, just in case.

"We want to pursue our dream, but do not want to starve," Jeon said. "A college degree may help us get other jobs if we cannot become singers."

This is why most parents are reluctant to support their children's dreams.

"My parents convinced me to give up the dream at first, suggesting I get a stable job first," Jeon said. "But I persuaded them, telling them how desperate I was about music. In the end, they changed their mind and began supporting me."

Jeon eventually wants to reward their faith. He revealed they also have been paying for his academy. According to a spokesperson for a music academy, if a student takes vocal, choreography and composition lessons, the monthly cost is about a million won ($846).

"All these are quite burdensome, but they drive me to work even harder. In the future, I want to be a successful singer and pay my parents back."

Although he looked exhausted after practice, he did not lose his smile.

"Music is what I truly love, so I think I am lucky to do what I am fond of," he said. "In the future, I want to become a singer who can console people with music."

As a teacher for aspiring singers

So what would a teacher of these hopefuls say?

"A rocky path looms for singer hopefuls, because they have to stand the test of time despite low probability of debut," Noh Young-joo, president and CEO of music academy Power Vocal, told The Korea Times. "I cannot give the exact numerical figure, but the probability is extremely low.

The hopefuls should boast their own style of music and be diligent to raise their chances."

Noh is the teacher of a legion of prominent K-pop stars including former Wanna One member Park Ji-hoon and Choi Ye-na of K-pop girl band IZ*ONE. Noh established the academy in 2009 in central Seoul and it is now one of the most preferred musical institutions in Korea.

"Nevertheless, I hope my students do not ditch their dreams," he said. "They can still get music-related jobs thanks to the creativity they learned. This creativity can be applied to various sectors.

"The students chose what they wanted to do and are happy doing what they love. I am more proud than worried to see them living a busy, but dream-driven life."

He also advised the hopefuls to be more confident.

"Students who grow up only in Korea generally lack confidence and are excessively humble," he said. "I hope they become bolder because confidence is a crucial quality. But they better bear the hard times with perseverance and always practice for the perfect."

More foreign K-pop star hopefuls are coming to the academy, Noh said.

"Most of them hail from China, Japan and Thailand," he said. "Many agencies have been looking for foreign talent to target international markets. For instance, if a group has a Chinese member, it will be easier to set sights on the Chinese market in terms of language and sentiment. The agencies these days release content for people worldwide, so they do not avoid discovering foreign talent."

Noh wrapped up the interview by delivering his thoughts on criticisms that K-pop idols are being "factory-churned."

"Some agencies want their stars to follow their strategies and concepts, while others prefer having more self-oriented artists," he said. "Hence, the aspiring singers have to analyze themselves first and decide which style they prefer. I do not think this is a problem of good or bad."