What does it mean to be a "Korean Idol?"

The closest the US has come to Korea's "idols" or "idol groups" are the Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC. For  Korean idol to be called so, they undergo years of training in singing, dancing, instruments, acting, and other talents. If or when they debut, they are subject to a lot of criticism: Are they naturally beautiful (beauty is almost a must to become an idol)? Did they do any sort of surgery? How tall are they? Where did they come from? Do they treat their family well? Are they well-liked by fellow group members? What personality do they have? How did they get into the business in the first place? ... Korea is a small country-- any little comment can set off a huge commotion in the community.

Korean idols are literally.... idols. They are what most people aspire to be- talented in multiple fields of their industry, successful, well-liked, tall (it's a Korean thing), and of course it doesn't hurt that they are drop-dead gorgeous 99% of the time.

The community falls so hard for Korean idols because they really show themselves to the public. It is Korean culture for idols to take part in many shows (talk shows, game shows, just regular shows, etc). This way, the community "gets to know" the idol and what they're like. It makes them that much more endearing and closer to regular people like ourselves.

Idols Jo Kwon and Ga-In on the show "We Got Married"

"We Got Married" is a hit show and after it aired, these two idol's popularity soared like no other. Just as anyone, they are everybody's favorite married couple (they're not really married, that's just the show). They are actually each a part of their own idol groups. Jo-Kwon from 2PM and Ga-In from Brown Eyed Girls.