For those seeking K-pop stardom, the path can be long and grueling

Editor’s Note: A new episode of “The Whole Story: K-Pop: A Star is Made,” following a group of teen girls’ journey to becoming idols and much more airs Sunday, January 5th at 8pm ET on CNN.

Seven girls sit in a room, waiting for their name to be called. All of them are young, slim and gorgeous, ranging in age from 14 to 20, with glossy hair and flawless skin. Anticipation hangs in the air, and nerves are written plain on their faces.

They’re about to find out which among them will make the cut to be in South Korea’s newest K-pop group – a dream shared by countless young hopefuls across the country, and increasingly the world, as the multibillion-dollar industry surges in global popularity.

But it’s a long, grueling path to get into that room. The girls have spent months or years training in singing, dancing, rapping and performing – all while following demanding exercise and diet regimens.

Several have given up their formal education or left families hundreds of miles away. And in the fast-moving world of K-pop, where stars trend young and groups often disband after just a few years, some girls feel like this is their only shot.

“In the idol world, 18 is very old … so if I miss this opportunity, I worry whether there will be another place other than this company that would accept me,” said 18-year-old Ah-In Lee, one of the seven final trainees at K-pop company MZMC.

CNN’s Kyung Lah was granted exclusive access to MZMC’s final week of training before launching its first-ever group for a documentary aired on “The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper.”

MZMC founder and CEO Paul Thompson, an American who has written and produced hundreds of K-pop songs, estimates they went through thousands of