Music industry attracts attention in US, but many artists say stardom comes at harsh personal costs.

South Korea’s music industry is worth more than $3bn a year, driven largely by music known as “K-Pop” which is popular across Asia and even attracting attention in the US.

Despite their fame, however, Korean pop stars say they are held to tough contracts and subjected to severe restrictions on their personal lives.

A growing number of legal disputes over such alleged treatment have caused the government to issue standardized contracts and establish a support centre.

Al Jazeera’s Drew Ambrose reports from Seoul.