Unknown Celebrities Who Trained at SM Entertainment

1. Big Bang – G-Dragon

At the young age of 13, G-Dragon participated in a dance competition where he was discovered by Lee Soo Man. This led him to spend five years training under SM Entertainment. His passion for rap ignited when he first encountered the music of Wu-Tang Clan, inspiring him to pursue a career as a rapper.

After honing his skills in a hip hop academy, he caught the attention of Yang Hyun Suk. In 2002, G-Dragon transitioned from SM to YG Entertainment, ultimately debuting as a member of Big Bang.

2. Urban Zakapa – Kwon Soon Il

Kwon Soon Il showcased his vocal talents at a singing competition during the sixth grade, which was organized by SM Entertainment. Following this achievement, he spent three years as a trainee, where he shared the experience with other future stars from Super Junior, TVXQ, and Girls’ Generation.

3. Park Ji Hoon

During his time on Mnet’s “Produce 101,” Park Ji Hoon sparked interest by listing SM Entertainment and Fantagio as his previous agencies on his application form.

4. Gong Seung Yeon

Before making her mark as an actress, Gong Seung Yeon was recognized as the top contestant in the “SM Youth Best Contest.” She initially aimed for a career as a singer and underwent training alongside members of Red Velvet.

5. Lee Hyori

Lee Hyori was recruited by SM Entertainment in 1999, which was managing H.O.T. at the time. Although she was on track to debut as part of a girl group that SM aimed to launch, personal circumstances led her to withdraw from her training program. Had she continued with SM, she might have debuted with the girl group S.E.S.

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