5 K-pop Idols Who Were Almost Forced Out of Their Companies Before Debut [Updated 2023]
Many K-pop idols have revealed how strict their companies were when they were still trainees. There are those agencies who carefully monitor their trainees' weight, prohibit them from using their phones and even from dating. Just one wrong move made a trainee, the company can kick him or her out in a flash.
That was what nearly happened to the 5 K-pop idols below. Keep reading to learn the reason why they were almost forced out of their label.
5 K-pop Idols Who Were Almost Kicked Out of Their Companies Before Debut
BTS Jimin
Back in 2017, BTS Jimin revealed a pre-debut story of how he was almost removed from the debut lineup of the group in a special video. He said that he was nearly kicked off the team about eight times. Suga commented at the time, "Didn't he almost get kicked off a day before our debut?"
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Jimin then explained that the reason is that several people in Big Hit Music didn't think he would do well as a member of BTS. He shared, "(I can't say their names) but there were a lot of people who opposed me (joining the group)."
It is believed that those people thought that way because Jimin's dancing style was entirely different from the style that K-pop idols have, so he had a hard time adjusting. For starters, Jimin majored in contemporary dance.
AOA Seolhyun
AOA Seolhyun is another K-pop idol who almost got kicked out of her company during her trainee days. It's because she skipped vocal and dance lessons one time to watch the movie "Kung Fu Panda 2," alongside other trainees. It wouldn't have been okay if no one knew, but she encountered the head of their agency at the same movie theater they went to.
As punishment, the company head ordered all the trainees to leave the label. But, he ultimately reconsidered and ended up calling all the trainees back a few days later.
Super Junior Heechul
In an episode of "Happy Together," Super Junior Heechul revealed that SM Entertainment nearly forced him out of the agency when he was a trainee. It all started when his trainer found out that he was listening to rock music instead of the type of music that he was supposed to be studying. Heechul then ended up giving an arrogant response to the trainer.
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As a result, the trainer scolded him and asked him to write an apology letter. While he wasn't apologetic for what he said, he still wrote an apology letter. Then, he was sent home because of his attitude and was suspended from the training program.
So, how was he able to return to SM? Well, he managed to get back when Lee Soo Man had noticed that he wasn't around the agency and asked the people there where he was.
Block B P.O.
In Block B P.O.'s case, he was really kicked out of his company when he was a trainee, but he was given another chance when he lost some weight. He shared this story during his appearance on "Radio Star."
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P.O. said that he was training with WINNER Mino at that time. One day, their company's CEO talked to them, saying that they will drop P.O. as a trainee, while Mino can continue. Mino was against the idea and said that he'll quit, too, but P.O. convinced him to stay. P.O. then ultimately returned to the agency after shedding some pounds.
EXO Lay
EXO Lay's story isn't confirmed, but it's rumored that he was forced out of SM Entertainment when he was a trainee. The reason is that Lay fought with another trainee over a bowl of rice.
The incident happened after a long day of training, and Lay was exhausted and saw a bowl of rice on a table. He dug in immediately, but another trainee got mad at him for eating the meal he prepared. The two ended up fighting and exchanging heated words.
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SM eventually knew about this and ordered Lay to go back to China. Luckily, the label gave him another chance, and so he was able to debut.
According to some fans, Lay mentioned this when he was a mentor on "Idol Producer" in China, while one fan claimed that this story can be found in Lay's autobiography "Standing Firm at 24."
Do you know other K-pop idols who were nearly kicked out of their companies when they were still trainees?
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