Trot Competition Champion Shares Why They Declined SHINee’s Offer from Lee Soo-man to Follow Personal Aspirations

Kim Yong-bin’s Surprising Choice Over SHINee: A Trot Music Journey

In a recent episode airing on June 10 of SBS’s popular variety show Dolsing Four Men, Kim Yong-bin, the winner of Mr. Trot 3, shared a remarkable story that caught many by surprise. He revealed that he once declined an offer extended by the founder of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo-man, to join the iconic boy band SHINee, opting instead to pursue a career in trot music.

During this engaging episode, Kim was joined by fellow contestants from Mr. Trot 3, including Son Bin-a, Choon-gil, Choi Jae-myung, and Chu Hyuk-jin. Upon entering the studio, the conversation quickly turned to Kim’s recent triumph in the competition, where he humorously revealed, “The prize money was 300 million KRW. My first thought was, ‘I’m going to lose a lot in taxes.’”

Lee Sang-min noted that Kim had been recognized as a prodigy in the trot music scene at a very young age. In response, Kim shared, “I made my debut in 2004 on KBS’s ‘Gayo Stage’ when I was only 13 years old.”

Curious about Kim’s past, Lee Sang-min asked about the rumors regarding repeated offers from SM Entertainment to join the idol group. Kim confirmed these accounts and elaborated on the encounter.“I had guest appearances on an MBC comedy show, after which someone mentioned that ‘Lee Soo-man wants to meet you, ’ leading to an invitation to the company, ” he explained.

Kim further detailed his experience, stating, “A few days later, I arrived at Lee Soo-man’s office, where he told me, ‘We’re forming a group called SHINee, and I would like you to join.’”

This revelation led to astonishment among the show’s cast, with Son Bin-a humorously suggesting, “If that had happened, you would’ve been dancing to SHINee’s ‘Ring Ding Dong, ’ right?” This comment elicited laughter and light-heartedness in the studio.

Ultimately, Kim made the passionate decision to follow his heart into the world of trot music, creating a fascinating “what could have been” scenario within the K-pop narrative. His journey offers fans an intriguing look into the competitive and often unpredictable dynamics of idol recruitment.

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