Idols are picked because of their beauty and talent, but some idols are disgruntled over the fact that their talent comes in second place to looks.

INFINITE's L recently expressed his frustration during an interview for INFINITE's concert, That Summer 2. "People stereotype me a lot, and they don't look at my talents but look at my physical traits."

L is the most recent idol to discuss the issue at hand: Idols, as a whole, are treated like pretty faces more than talented artists. The word "artist" and "idol" are not synonymous, even while there are many talented artists who are idols.

K-Pop, as an industry, is often accused of being cookie-cutter, with idol group after idol group debuting. Groups that are now attracting a lot of attention are ones that set themselves apart from the rest, whether it is with a unique debut concept or by being particularly talented.

Idol groups in general are becoming less popular; YG Entertainment's most popular recent debut was the sibling-duo AKMU, which has neither the training nor looks of typical idols, but does create all of their own music.

Even when idols take to other forms of entertainment, such as acting or producing, they're practically accused of doing something wrong by trying their hand at doing something other than being an idol. L in particular has become popular for his acting, which is related to his handsome looks, but he has also gained some popularity for his photography; he has released two photo books that have nothing to do with his looks. But, he cannot shake the focus from his good looks, which is a problem that many idols have found when they try to be taken seriously as artists.

As an industry based primarily on visual aspects, it is expected that idols are recognized their looks. However, with more and more idols, there's a wide range of talent that is being ignored, so L's frustration is understandable.

Other idols have pursued producing, notably BEAST's Junhyung, JYJ's Jaejoong, and B1A4's Jinyoung, but each one is still considered an idol-producer rather than an idol that produces.

In response to L's comments, Korean netizens responded in two ways. Some felt that L, and other idols, do deserve more attention for their talents as artists and entertainers. Comments pointed out that even though L has improved a lot as a singer and is a talented photographer, he's primarily recognized as being a pretty face. 

Other netizens said that L should stop complaining because his good looks are what made him popular in the first place. They said that talented idols will eventually be recognized, regardless of how good looking they are.