Plastic surgery, forced dieting, missing school and long working hours.

Being a teen entertainer in Korea demands more than talent and effort. At least one out of every 10 young entertainers is sexually objectified by their superiors, including being forced to reveal certain body parts and receive plastic surgery, a government survey said Monday.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center last month jointly conducted a survey with 103 entertainers -- 53 male and 50 female -- aged between 9 and 24. Among the 88 participants who are age 19 or younger, 56.1 percent said they had been told to lose weight to work in the industry, while 14.6 percent said they were advised to get plastic surgery.

About 10 percent of the teen respondents said they have exposed specific parts of their body for work, such as legs, breasts and buttocks. Among them, 60 percent of the female teens said they were forced to do so.

Thirty-six percent of respondents younger than 18 said they have worked more than eight hours a day. About 10 percent said they have worked more than 40 hours a week, while 41 percent said they have worked on weekends and night shifts, which is against the labor law.

Among respondents who are elementary, middle or high school students, 47.6 percent said they have missed more than half of their weekly classes, while 34.1 percent said they cannot make time for their homework. 19 percent said they had "absolutely no time" for studying.

Among female respond 64.8 percent report suffering from insomnia while 14.3 percent take antidepressants, the survey said.

Kim Ki-hun, a research fellow at the Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center, said the problems young entertainers face now can have a life-long impact. "Many of them experience 'sexual objectification' without knowing they are victimized," Kim told The Korea Herald. "There has to be a legal safety net so they can enjoy their basic rights as teenagers, such as access to education."

On Monday, Gender and Family Minister Paik Hee-young told reporters the ministry will "draw measures against sexualization of young entertainers." The Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center will hold a seminar to brainstorm possible measures to protect the teens -- from legal sanctions to education rights and support networks -- on Thursday.