These 4 K-Pop Idols Went To Their Trainee Audition Just As A Supportive Friend… And Ended Up Debuting Instead

While every K-Pop idol’s audition story is different, for the most part, the people that end up becoming idols got into the business with the intention of auditioning for one or multiple companies. There are stories of idols being picked up on the streets by recruiters, though that is less common.

Even less common than that, however, are the stories of idols who went to a K-Pop company’s audition just to support a friend or family member who was auditioning, and ended up becoming an idol themselves while their auditioning friend did not! Here are four idols who ended up in companies this way, and eventually led to their K-Pop career.

1. V (BTS)

It may be hard for some to believe, but BTS’s irreplaceable V could have ended up not as an idol at all. He accompanied a friend of his to a BigHit Entertainment audition in Daegu as emotional support with no intentions of auditioning himself. However, one of the company team members at the audition noticed him and encouraged him to audition, and after getting permission from his father, V ended up completing it on the spot!

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He ended up being the only person in Daegu to pass the audition that day, with his friend unfortunately not making it. And now, of course, V and BTS are worldwide famous!

2. Peniel (BTOB)

While Peniel ended up debuting with BTOB under Cube Entertainment, he actually was a trainee at JYP Entertainment for a while — and it wasn’t planned! He accompanied a friend that was auditioning for the company, and since he could sing and play guitar, he was basically just coming along for fun just to have the experience. Hilariously, he actually ended up initially auditioning as a model for the company when he saw that it was an option!

Modeling? Wait, so I can do 3 poses and get in? Why would I attempt to sing?

— Peniel

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In the end, however, the staff ended up requesting that he sing and dance anyway, and he ended up doing it for about an hour! After all of this, he ended up accepted into JYP Entertainment while his friend didn’t.

3. Mark (NCT/SuperM)

It was Mark’s older brother who the now-idol accompanied to an SM Entertainment audition in Vancouver, simply tagging along for fun since he had a free day. Mark has recently said that he feels like it was destiny, because since it was a weekday and he normally would have had school, his teachers went on strike that day and so he had it off.

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Both of the Lee brothers ended up auditioning for SM Entertainment that day, but only Mark, who was just 13 years old at the time, was accepted into the company due to his passion that the recruiters felt that his brother lacked. It’s incredible how things worked out as they did!

4. Xiumin (EXO)

Finally, Xiumin was actually discovered by SM Entertainment through a singing contest that he participated in. He hadn’t originally planned on participating in the contest, but a friend who was encouraged him to also join in, so he did so for fun — and ended up winning 2nd place, which earned him a trainee opportunity with SM Entertainment.

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Singing had just been a hobby of his before this, and he had actually been planning on going to a sports university before his life took this unexpected turn!