From G.Soul to Miyeon (G)I-DLE, These 6 Korean Artists Became Trainees for Years!

Kapanlagi.com - It's no secret anymore that your favorite K-Pop artists have to go through a very long process before they become famous and have a big name. Starting from auditioning, becoming a trainee, and going through selections until they can finally debut seems to be a very common and mandatory process in their career journey.

Not just for one or two years, there are many K-Pop idols who have years of training. Many of them have started their training at a very young age to prepare for their future career as an artist and entertainer.

Sometimes, there are idols who have to move to another agency to start a new journey, and there are also those who choose to leave the entertainment industry even before they can debut. The competition is no joke. Who do you think has the longest training period among idols or singers, KLovers? Or maybe from your favorite idol group, who was a trainee for the longest time?

Below are 6 K-Pop artists who have undergone training for years. Take a look, is your bias there?

1. G.Soul - 15 Years

G.Soul (credit: instagram.com/g_theprince)

Solo singer G.Soul, whose real name is Kim Ji Hyun, is one of the longest-serving trainees at JYP Entertainment. While under JYP Entertainment, G.Soul spent a whopping 15 years in training, that's a long time! He debuted with his first single titled 'You' in 2015. 

After debuting for two years, he chose to leave JYP and signed with H1GHR MUSIC, a record label owned by Jay Park, who is also a former singer under JYP Entertainment. Currently, G.Soul, who changed his name to Golden, is pursuing his career with Warner Music Korea. Fans of R&B/Soul music should definitely listen to G.Soul's songs!

2. G-Dragon BIGBANG - 11 Years

G-Dragon (credit: instagram.com/xxibgdrgnnxx)

Are there any V.I.Ps here? One of the members of the legendary K-Pop group, BIGBANG, Kwon Ji Yong or G-Dragon, is also one of the K-Pop idols with the longest training period. He spent 5 years of his initial training under SM Entertainment when he was 8 years old.

G-Dragon then moved to YG Entertainment and trained there for 6 years before finally debuting as a member of BIGBANG. G-Dragon even became one of the youngest rappers during his training period. Wow, 11 years as a trainee! 

3. Jihyo TWICE - 10 Years

Jihyo TWICE (credit: instagram.com/twicetagram)

There's the leader of TWICE here! Jihyo is a member of TWICE with the longest training period, which is 10 years, KLovers. The long training period is also one of the reasons she was chosen to be the leader of this girl group TWICE. 

Not only did she train for a decade, but Jihyo also started her training when she was very young. She joined JYP Entertainment when she was eight years old. She has trained with many idols from JYP such as Sunmi, Bae Suzy, Jo Kwon, and also Nickhun. Jihyo finally debuted with TWICE in 2015. Keep up the success, Jihyo!

4. Xiyeon PRISTIN - 10 Years

Park Siyeon (credit: instagram.com/0_0.1114)

One member of an idol group with a 10-year training period, KLovers. Park Siyeon, formerly known as Xiyeon, started as a trainee in Pledis Entertainment in 2008. Previously, she was a child actress who started her career at the age of 5, very young!

During her pre-debut period, she appeared in several music videos of senior singers in Pledis. After the disbandment of PRISTIN, Siyeon continues her career as an actress under Soo Yeon Kang Entertainment since 2020. So happy for her!

5. Johnny NCT - 9 Years

Johnny NCT (credit: instagram.com/johnnyjsuh)

NCTzens, where are you?! This singer, born in Chicago, Illinois, is the NCT member with the longest training period. After passing the SM Global Audition held in the United States in 2007, Johnny continued his time as a trainee for 9 years. 

It is said that he trained with the members of EXO, but unfortunately EXO debuted first and he still had to be a trainee. After waiting and sacrificing a lot of time and sweat, he finally debuted as a member of NCT 127. Fun Fact! Johnny has many pre-debut photos with EXO members, have you seen them?

6. Miyeon (G)I-DLE - 8 Years

Miyeon (G)I-DLE (credit: instagram.com/official_g_i_dle)

Cho Mi-yeon, commonly known by her stage name Miyeon, is a K-Pop idol who was a trainee for 8 years! She was a trainee at YG Entertainment for 5 years before joining (G)I-DLE, KLovers. 

Rumor has it that she almost debuted with BLACKPINK before leaving YG and joining Cube Entertainment. Miyeon has successfully debuted with (G)I-DLE and holds the position of main vocalist and visual in the group! It's not surprising, really impressive!

So, these are the South Korean artists who have been trainees for years before finally debuting. Their struggle is really tough, some even spend their entire youth as a trainee. 

Of course, it's not just the trainees themselves who are waiting for their debut, but also the fans who have been following them since their training days! It's really touching! So let's continue supporting our favorite idols so that they can keep creating!

Oh, by the way, is your bias mentioned above?

This article was written by: Elisabeth Marie N. D. 

(kpl/mag)