A Series of Facts About EXO's Kai Who Almost Retired at the Age of 29, Now a YouTuber - Formerly Wanted to be a Ballet Dancer

Kapanlagi.com - Kai EXO or Kim Jong-in is an idol and actor who has shown his talent since he was young. The idol, who was born on January 14, 1994, started doing jazz dance at the age of eight, and then continued ballet training after watching a ballet performance.

Seeing his potential, Kai's parents supported him and encouraged him to audition. Kai passed the audition at the age of 13 and started training in hip-hop during his trainee period.

Kai EXO has been in the entertainment industry for more than nine years. There are many interesting stories about him. Starting from the success tips of being an idol to his latest activity as a YouTuber. So, for those of you who are curious about Kai EXO's story, just read the following information.

1. Kai EXO Once Had a Desire to Retire Before the Age of 30

Kai EXO (Credit: Instagram/kaiexo.official)

Like other members, Kai EXO does have many individual activities, one of which is starring in variety shows. On August 9th, in a broadcast, Kai EXO said that the desire to retire before the age of 30 has changed.

"We talked a lot about how idols survive for 5 years or 7 years, and I often said that we wouldn't go beyond 10 years. But now we (EXO) are in our tenth year," said Kai during dinner.

Furthermore, Kai explained that when he was still 20 years old, he thought he would retire at the age of 29. Then, Kai asked Tak Jae Hoon,

"Hyung, when do you think you will retire?" Tak Jae Hoon then answered, "There is no such thing as retirement, you naturally disappear instead. Who can control time? I think everyone has their own life."

Yes, it seems like Kai won't retire soon. He continues to be productive until now and has just debuted as a YouTuber.

2. Kai EXO Debuts as a Youtuber

Kai EXO (Credit: Instagram/kaiexo.official)

On September 16, through his Twitter and Instagram accounts, Kai EXO announced that he will debut as a Youtuber.

The first vlog that Kai uploaded seemed quite simple. He sat casually with a friend named Timoteo. They discussed a suitable name for Kai's Youtube channel. Then, Kai called another friend for their opinion.

Another discussion occurred and the name "KAIst" was suggested, which is the same as the name of a university in Korea. Now, "KAIst" comes from "KAI" and "st", an abbreviation for style. If interpreted as "KAI STYLE", it is a space that can be filled with various types of content according to Kai's style. After that, Kai announced the name.

"Hello, this is beginner YouTuber Kai! I started YouTube because there were so many requests from you all to communicate with you better. They said the beginning is half of the whole, so I started it as the first step even though it's still lacking. Let me know what content you want to see. Let's do this together," captioned Kai in the video description.

Of course, Kai EXO's step received a lot of support from fans. Some expressed surrender, leaving it up to Kai's wishes. There were also fans who gave good and positive ideas.

3. Tips for Success Kai EXO Since Joining SM Entertainment

Kai EXO (Credit: Instagram/kaiexo.official)

Everyone has their own efforts to achieve success. So does Kai EXO when joining SM, which is to stop using social media.

That statement actually started from a conversation between Kai EXO and Tak Jae Hoon through a video call. The conversation was aired on the web variety show Tak Jae Hoon THE TAKFATHER. At that time, Tak Jae Hoon asked for advice on how to support new singers and how Kai EXO could succeed.

In response to that question, Kai answered, "Well, as soon as I joined SM, I stopped using social media." Kai continued, "You know, (social media) can hold my ankles (block the path to success)," said Kai while laughing.

Other tips that Kai did towards success were personality. Paying attention to this as a new artist is the most important thing for KAI. Even until now, his personality as a top idol remains good, it is clearly the key for an idol to be liked.

4. Becoming an Idol Role Model, Kai EXO Originally Wanted to be a Ballerina

Kai EXO (Credit: Instagram/kaiexo.official)

Kai EXO indeed has many charms. His visuals, body movements, and stage performances bring happiness to EXO-Ls. Not only fans, but Kai EXO is also famous as an idol for other idols. Many junior idols in the K-Pop industry have stated that Kai EXO is a figure worthy of being a role model.

Some idols who have expressed this include Jisung, Kang Daniel, and Jaemin NCT Dream. Taeyang SFG and Hyunsuk CIX also admit the same thing. Although Kai has become a shining idol, in reality, being an idol was not his initial aspiration.

Before auditioning for SM Entertainment, Kai EXO had been learning to dance since childhood and aspired to become a ballerina. However, his father encouraged Kai to audition for SM with the promise of a Nintendo. Therefore, it is understandable that Kai dances exceptionally well on stage and becomes a role model for junior idols.

(kpl/gen/ans)