“I Wasn’t A Fixed Member” — How BIGBANG’s G-Dragon Helped Sandara Park Join 2NE1

Former 2NE1 member Sandara Park (also known as Dara) recently sat down with her longtime friend JYJ‘s Kim Jaejoong to film an episode of his new talk show, JaeFriends.

During the episode, the two shared stories of their experiences promoting during K-Pop’s second generation, spilled on unexpected idol friendships and discussed how Sandara became a member of 2NE1.

Sandara Park | @daraxxi/Instagram

Before debuting as a member of the legendary 2nd-gen group 2NE1, Sandara Park had a blossoming singing and acting career in the Philippines after competing on the talent show Star Circle Quest.

After returning to South Korea in 2007, she had her sights set on continuing her acting career, which is how she met Jaejoong.

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Sandara Park revealed she wasn’t a “fixed member” of 2NE1 when she joined YG Entertainment, as she was focusing on acting auditions at the time.

When she eventually joined the group lineup, she admitted it was a “dramatic change,” but one that was made possible through hard work and a recommendation from BIGBANG‘s leader, G-Dragon.

BIGBANG’s G-Dragon | @xxxibgdrgn/Instagram

Sandara revealed she approached G-Dragon after BIGBANG released their legendary song “Lies” and asked him to put in a good word for her to YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk now that he had more “power” with the hit song under his belt.

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G-Dragon supported Sandara, accompanying her to karaoke so she could practice her singing. While she hilariously couldn’t say whether it was helpful, the company viewed her practice video shortly afterward, saying, “She isn’t great, but she’s the cool one.”

The company’s approval secured her place in 2NE1’s lineup, and the talented quartet would not have been the same without their beloved Dara.

(From left:) 2NE1’s Dara, CL, Minzy, and Dara | CL Official Channel/YouTube

During the episode, Sandara Park opened up about her debut-era experience, including why 2NE1 was scolded after winning a Daesang award. Check out the article below for more!

YG Entertainment Scolded 2NE1 After They Won A Daesang Award As Rookies