MBLAQ‘s G.O, who is now a BJ (broadcast jockey) for his very popular stream called GOTV, shared his knowledge on why choosing the wrong agency could ruin an idol’s entire life.

G.O explained that the length of a contract with an agency is between 5 to 7 years.

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“A contract lasts from 5 to 7 years. Most contracts are 7 years. Because of the training period, they [agencies] think 5 years is too short.” — G.O

Because most people sign contracts with agencies when they are teenagers, G.O advised viewers to be cautious.

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“A 7 year term means you are spending the prime of your life with 1 agency. That’s why you have to be very careful.” — G.O

He recommended signing a contract for 5 years if 7 years feels too long.

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“If you feel that 7 years is too long, then sign one for 5 years instead. If the company says they can’t do a 5-year contract even if they die, then don’t do it. That’s wrong. If the company has confidence in your success, then 5 years, even 4 years should be enough.” — G.O

Remembering his past experiences as an idol, G.O shared an example of what some agencies would do if an album wasn’t successful.

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“The agency’s influence on scheduling or marketing plays a big role, but it’s 100% the artist’s fault in their eyes. They will say ‘you weren’t successful because you weren’t good enough.'” — G.O

Debts to the agency will continue to increase. All the while, you won’t be able to earn money because the agency won’t let you work.

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“You will go through a period where you can’t do anything while your debts continue to accumulate. You can’t even work a part-time job because you are under contract, but the company won’t let you release a new album.” — G.O

G.O shared a scenario that pretty much summarizes life after a bad contract.

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“You’ve been training ever since you were young. The only thing you are good at is this [being an idol]. You’ve gotten older, you don’t have the courage to find another career, and you don’t know what else you can do. Imagine how hard that would be?” — G.O

Finally, G.O re-emphasized the importance of the length of a contract.

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“That is why a contract length is so important. You have to consider the risk of failing. Don’t think that it will always work out.” — G.O

Watch a clip of the segment below: