South Korea's Pop Wave

South Korean pop music known as 'K-Pop', is flourishing around the world, finding new fans across Asia, Europe and the US. With attractive artists, catchy tunes and polished dance moves, K-Pop is the number one draw-card for tourists to South Korea and generates tens of millions of export dollars. But punishing schedules and contracts, plus links to prostitution and corruption have revealed a dark side to the industry. Meanwhile critics claim K-Pop is too manufactured to create mega-international stars or to sustain its future. 101 East explores South Korea's K-Pop phenomenon and asks if it is a music revolution that is set to last. Korea's music and entertainment are not the exception when it comes to the abusive treatment of those involved. These people are treated at best like chattel and at worse as slaves. Lives so controlled that one might use a metaphor; seemingly free yet kept in solitary confinement. Conditions which exist in Japan and Taiwan as well.