South Korea's pop industry is worth more than $3bn a year. It is driven largely by music known as "K-Pop", which is popular across Asia and is even attracting attention in the US.
But Korean pop stars have been subjected to tough contracts and severe restrictions on their personal lives. A growing number of legal disputes over their agencies' harsh treament has caused the government to issue standard contracts and establish a support centre for the artists.
Drew Ambrose reports from Seoul.
