Or the aptly named “star factory”, run by the legendary Lee Soo Man with an iron fist. Like each of our entrepreneurs, Lee attempted a career in the music trenches that was less than successful. After the failed venture, he naturally gravitated to an occupation guaranteed to bring in the big bucks - business management.

SM is certainly a company that lives up to its idol-making moniker. You think of the best of the best coming out of that company - Dong Bang Shin Ki, So Nyeo Shi Dae, Super Junior, Shinee and countless others that make the fangirls squeal and make Lee’s piggy bank go BOOM!

SM’s trainee process is all about intensive training, stressing a constant strive for perfection in all areas of performance. Idols such as SNSD members Jessica, Soo Young and Hyo Yeon have been known to have trained for seven years before they were able to debut.

And that’s the feeling you ultimately associate from SM; that it’s all about the bottom line. Even before the DBSK lawsuit, no one could argue that Lee was top dog, ruling his performances and finances with a precision that, at the time, was to be admired. Much like American pop svengalis Lou Pearlman (Backstreet Boys, N’SYNC), and Maurice Starr (of New Kids on the Block fame), Lee noted the winning idol formula and used it over and over again to great success. SM’s Blue Ocean strategy has been a stab at cross-cultural domination that has been successful for the most part, shipping its stars all across Asia and the U.S. (where they haven’t made significant inroads as of yet). But what about the weary performers, particularly the ones who are not ok with being treated as a commodity? H.O.T and Shinwha left the company under a bit of controversy, and none of the members have officially spoken out about their time there; but comments from disgruntled employees crop up from time to time, tales accusing the company of harsh treatment and tyrannical rule. And now with the dark cloud of the Gods Rising from the East hanging over the company, with fans demanding explanations and answers, who knows what unsavory revelations may come to light. But you know what they say, if you’re really hungry for something, you’ll do anything to achieve it. SNSD may appear on Music Bank a little worse for the wear, but you can’t dispute their popularity or their album sales. You could however, dispute Yoona’s 13 year contract.

SM is all business, but his business is successful.

Korea’s most prominent hip-hop/R&B label, has gained some unprecedented success in recent years with Se7en, Big Bang and 2NE1, but in many ways, Yang Hung Suk may still be learning the ropes of the business. Yang was a member of legendary Korean group Seo Taiji & Boys until the group disbanded in 1996. After that he tried his hand at business - and the rest is history.

YG’s trainee motto is “before becoming a singer you must first become a person,” seemingly valuing the notion of good character in his employees over productivity.

This isn’t to mean that it is not a priority. Training can go from morning to night, and while the YG stable of artists is sometimes referred to as the YG Family, that may be because from training on, they are essentially each others only family.

So, YG’s training regimen leans more toward the method of nurturing the performer as an individual. But, as he is not as established as SM in the music scene, there have some questions concerning Yang’s management methods. Prolonging debuts and albums of talented artists such as Gummy, and the slightly strange debut method for rookie group 2NE1, an almost reverse psychology of under-saturation which did not ultimately hinder their success - despite his highly criticized one performance/once a week debut plan. That’s not even to mention Se7en’s failed entry into the U.S. market, which has the markings of being clumsily handled from all sides.

But you can’t deny the dynamic triumph of Big Bang, and with Yang employing some of the best writers, producers and international choreographers on to his team, the family atmosphere may be nuturing a whole new generation of accomplished artists.

JYP is often seen in the spotlight more often than his own artists. Park Jin-young’s personal business motto is that of enacting a “brand” for all performers, of which Rain was arguably his greatest achievement. But you also see that with the Wonder Girls - they are given distinctive roles from within the group, and for their overall concept, they are the quintessential girls next door. Their images are carefully managed, but their personalities are not. Boy groups 2PM and 2AM are separate groups with separate styles, but merge into the super group, One Day. Rain is the textbook jack-of-all-trades; JYP took a conventially unattractive (by Korean standards) young man with exceptional dance skills, and utilized his talent and charisma to make him a global superstar. And coming off that anecdote, is to highlight where JYP has succeeded where others have failed. JYP has successfully integrated both Rain and the Wonder Girls into the Western entertainment business. Not at any high level certainly, but enough to open doors for those who would dare to follow.

Still as with any idol aspirations, it is no easy road to get there - JYP’s academy has as many undebuted stars as debuted ones, but he does appear to take an active role in their personal growth as artists. And as odd or off-putting as he may seem, JYP appears to be one of the most amicable men in the business. He and YG have a healthy rivalry, having done collaborations in the past, including the famous “Wonderbang”, a series of special stages combining the top guy group (Big Bang) and top girl group (Wonder Girls), a move that proved profitable for both. Park is seemingly close with his golden Wonder Girls, and when Rain started his own agency, the two split amicably, as if enacting a passing of the torch. JYP may be best at merging the business with the personal; his talent is his livelihood, but the performers should also be allowed to live their own lives.