Before BABYMONSTER’s Asa, BLACKPINK Also Faced Backlash for Their Education Levels
A recent comment by BABYMONSTER’s Asa on Running Man claiming she only “graduated from kindergarten”—has reignited public debate over education among K-pop idols.
Born in 2006, Japanese member Asa joined YG Entertainment after passing an audition in 2018, becoming a trainee while still in elementary school. She officially debuted at age 17 with BABYMONSTER in late 2023.
Her statement shocked many and caused the term “lowest education level in K-pop” to trend on Chinese platform Weibo.
This controversy echoes past criticisms of BlackPink members, who also didn’t complete high school.
- Jennie studied at Cheongdam Elementary School in Seoul before moving to New Zealand. She later dropped out of high school at age 14 to train under YG.
- Rosé, born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, moved to Korea at 15 after joining YG. She finished middle school but did not attend high school.
- Lisa left Thailand in 2011 at the age of 14 to train in Korea, leaving her education unfinished.
- Jisoo is the only member who enrolled in high school but left during her second year after joining YG.
In contrast, entertainment agencies like SM, JYP, and HYBE often encourage idols to complete their education, with many attending arts high schools such as SOPA or Hanlim, which balance academics and artistic development. Some idols, like those in BTS and Super Junior, even pursued university and graduate degrees while actively performing.
While K-pop’s newer generations debut at younger ages sometimes as early as 13 this trend intensifies concerns over the lack of formal education among rising idols.
Asa’s revelation that she only completed kindergarten and did not clarify if she’s pursuing alternative education has led to criticism directed at YG Entertainment for seemingly neglecting educational support for young artists.
