“Eight out of 10 female trainees don’t menstruate,” says a member of an entertainment company’s trainee development team. Days begin at 5 a.m. and end after 2 a.m., and some trainees spend entire weeks drinking only water to stay thin. Behind K-pop’s glittering image lie the punishing routines endured by aspiring idols. Today, with BTS, Blackpink and "KPop Demon Hunters" at the pinnacle of K-pop's global fame, the genre has become Korea’s most celebrated export. But alongside these triumphs come