[News] Teen entertainers registered with association number 366.

[News] Teen entertainers registered with association number 366.
Cr. - www.koreatimes.co.kr

The number of underage entertainers registered with the Korean Entertainers' Association stood at 366 as of the end of May, according to Rep. Lee Myoung-soo of the minor conservative Liberty Forward Party.

Of the 366, 208 were elementary school students, with 76 and 82 attending middle and high schools, respectively, Lee said Tuesday, citing data from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Most of the teenaged entertainers often skip classes as they maintain a busy work schedule and the education authorities take no concrete measures to have them properly educated, he said.

Nearly half of the under-aged entertainers reside in Seoul, followed by 97 in Gyeonggi Province and 64 in Incheon. By gender, girls make up more than half at 199 and the remaining 167 are male.

It is estimated that there are more child entertainers than the statistics suggest as more students are engaged in professional singing, acting, modeling and other activities without belonging to any association.

"More and more elementary, middle-and high-school students are becoming singers and actors here. And many more are aspiring to become one. But the problem is most of them are not getting a proper education at the same time because a heavy workload of rehearsals and practices make it difficult to attend classes", Lee said.

The lawmaker argued that more has to be done to protect teen entertainers' right to education and prevent them graduating from schools without meeting scholastic requirements.

"These child stars are also students. They need to study and learn during their teenage years. Parents, schools and education offices should make more efforts to ensure they are properly educated", Lee said.

In June, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Friday announced a new guideline for standard contract terms between production companies and artists, requiring management not to deprive the boys and girls working in the entertainment industry from their educational opportunities.

The agency also prevents underage starlets from dressing in excessively revealing or sexual clothing and working long hours.