Super Junior’s Leeteuk, Heechul, and BIGBANG’s Daesung Discuss K-Pop Rivalry and Work Conditions
Super Junior members Leeteuk and Heechul, along with BIGBANG’s Daesung, discussed the competitive K-Pop environment and their challenging experiences while appearing on the YouTube channel ZIP DAESUNG on July 17th.
Leeteuk recalled the intense atmosphere of the industry, stating, “Back then, the power of the companies was really strong.” He highlighted the rivalry, explaining, “Effectively, it was a duopoly between SM and YG.” He described a “power struggle” where “During promotions, all agencies except SM were seen as competitors.”
Daesung echoed his sentiments, saying, “Back then, that kind of mindset was instilled,” noting the fierce competition that existed among agencies compared to today.
The discussion turned to the pressures of music show endings. Heechul shared, “When we were busy, we just wanted to do the opening and go home quickly, but the companies insisted we wait around to go on for the ending stage.” He recounted a moment of frustration where “BIGBANG and Super Junior were both waiting to go on the last stage.”
Heechul couldn’t take the situation anymore, admitting, “I wanted to go home early, but both groups kept telling each other not to go up.” He decided to leave, sharing, “I got angry and just went home.” Leeteuk laughed and teased, “He really went home.”
Reflecting on the rivalry instilled by the companies, Heechul said, “We were all singers, but the companies kept pushing us to fight each other.” Daesung agreed, stating, “That’s right. The singers themselves didn’t care much; it was the companies that created this rivalry.”
They also talked about the mandatory variety shows required to be on music programs. Leeteuk explained, “It’s not like this now, but back then, you had to appear on certain shows to get on music programs.” Daesung added, “You had to be on flagship variety shows to perform on music shows.” They mentioned shows like Open Concert, Star Golden Bell, Challenge 1000 Songs, and Law of the Jungle.
Heechul also shared how grueling their schedules were, stating, “Even while on crutches, if someone said, ‘Heechul must not like our broadcasting station,’ I had to run over.” He emphasized that today’s idols are taking the right approach, noting, “Looking at younger idols now, they rest when they’re sick.”
Leeteuk humorously mentioned his own exhaustion, saying, “If it were now, I wouldn’t have shown up today either.” He revealed, “I was in a car accident yesterday after driving 700 kilometers.” Heechul laughed, summarizing, “The hallmark of second-generation idols was that there was no time to rest.”
