#1 TOP DEFINITION
알바 — part-time job. Shortened from 아르바이트, borrowed from the German word Arbeit. In Korea, most K-pop idols worked or considered working 알바 jobs before being scouted. Pre-debut 알바 stories are a staple of idol biopics and fan lore. Fans who discuss the industry often reference how many trainees work 알바 to fund their own training costs.
Example
“Before SM discovered her, she was working 알바 at a coffee shop — the scouting story became one of the most-shared pre-debut facts about her.”
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