Crazy K-pop scouting stories: Cha Eun-woo and Bae Suzy were both spotted by talent scouts ... outside the toilets

Jul 22 , 2021

Cha Eun-woo, Bae Suzy and Sehun from Exo all got signed for future fame in unusual circumstances. Photos: @eunwooworld; @suzybae__; @ohsehunxk/Instagram

K-pop stars don’t spring from nowhere. Behind the scenes, there are agents tasked with finding diamonds in the rough and transforming them into idols.

Recruiting these future stars is known as talent scouting – and while some K-pop trainees realise their dreams after fighting through tough auditions, others are simply spotted in the most mundane circumstances by entertainment recruiters, and offered a life they might never have imagined.

Over the years, there have been many weird and wonderful scouting stories doing the rounds. Here are some of the most outrageous ones.

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Cha Eun-woo got scouted in front of the toilet

Astro member Cha Eun-woo was scouted near a toilet. Photo: @eunwo.o_c/Instagram

When K-pop idols are asked about their childhood dream jobs, many reply that they never expected to become an idol – one being Cha Eun-woo from Astro.

Cha was a smart kid who dreamed of becoming a judge – a middle school student representative who even ranked among the top three students with the best grades.

Cha Eun-woo in a still from True Beauty. Photo: Viu

Being a smart kid, he intended on attending Seoul National University ... before he was scouted by his agency at a school festival. Even more surprisingly, during his appearance on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend, Cha revealed he was in front of the toilet when the scout first approached him.

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Exo’ Sehun got scouted while eating tteokbokki

K-pop idol Sehun from Exo. Photo: @oohsehun/Instagram

We all might be aware that Sehun is something of a gourmet, who really loves to drink boba tea and eat tteokbokki. But did you know that Sehun actually stepped into the path of K-pop idoldom while eating that very same Korean spicy rice cake?

Exo’ Sehun and Chanyeol making tteokbokki in TV show My Little Television. Photo: @sagityeol/Twitter

During a showcase for Exo’s single Sing For You in 2015, the host quizzed the bandmates: “What was the food that Sehun was eating when he first got scouted?” All of them confidently answered “tteokbokki” – apparently verifying the story.

Exo’ Suho and NCT’s Jaemin were scouted while doing voluntary work

Exo’ Suho and NCT’s Jaemin. Photos: @NouraL_Se; @NCTsmtown_DREAM/Twitter

Toilets and a typical tteokbokki joint might be weird spots to find a K-pop star-in-waiting. But what about during volunteer service? Perhaps SM Entertainment not only cares about its idols’ outer appearance but also their inner beauty – as not one, but two of their idols were scouted while completing voluntary work.

Suho from Exo always dreamt of becoming a K-pop star, but he was originally planning to pursue his dream after entering university – which was also his parents’ will. However, a shot at fame came knocking earlier than expected when, during his middle school days, an SM Entertainment official saw Suho doing volunteer work at the park and reached out to him. Later on, he took part in an audition – and the result was successful, of course.

NCT’s Jaemin is a well-known helping hand. Photo: @dailynjaem/Twitter

NCT’s Jaemin found himself in a similar situation as well. In 2018, during NCT Dream’s concert with Happy Alliance, Jaemin disclosed that he was approached by SM Entertainment’s officials when he was volunteering with his mother. He later got the nickname of “bong-kae” which translates to “volunteering-casting” in Korean.

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Bae Suzy got scouted backstage auditioning for a TV show

Bae Suzy got a lucky break while auditioning for a talent show. Photo: @skuukzky/Instagram

If you’re following K-pop news, you might understand that spending just a single year as a trainee is comparably short. And former Miss A member Bae Suzy, who is perhaps best known as Seo Dal-mi in the hit K-drama Start-Up, only spent one year at JYP Entertainment before she made her debut. And even more amazingly, Suzy was scouted by JYP Entertainment’s officials while she was attending the pre-round auditions of the popular Korean reality TV show Superstar K1.

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Suzy’s appearance on Superstar K1. Photo: @MissA_MinMin/Twitter

According to ENewsToday, Suzy was spotted by JYP Entertainment when she went to the toilet while waiting for her turn to participate in the audition. (What is it about talent scouts and toilets?) The official apparently stopped Suzy right next to the toilet and auditioned her on the spot, where she sang a Younha song.

Gfriend’s Umji got scouted while eating dak-galbi

Umji from Gfriend. Photo: @ummmmm_j.i/Instagram

Just as Exo’s Sehun got scouted while eating tteokbokki, former Gfriend member Umji got scouted during her meal of dak-galbi, the Korean spicy stir-fried chicken. In 2016, during her appearance on SBS Power FM’s Kim Chang-yeol’s Old School, Umji shared her experience of getting scouted on the preliminary convening date of Seoul Performing Arts High School. “It even happened not inside the campus but on the way to eat dak-galbi,” she said on the show.

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Former April member Hyunjoo and Gfriend’s Umji back in high school. Photo: @Hyunjoo_Global/Twitter

April’s Hyunjoo, whose name is consistently in the news following the group’s bullying scandal, shared the story of Umji getting scouted during her interview with MyDaily in 2016. Hyunjoo said she was with Umji at the scene, and it was surprising and amazing to see that happening right in front of her – later joking that she was also eager to eat dak-galbi at the time.

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K-pop idols

Exo’s Sehun and Gfriend’s Umji both got scouted while eating a snack – noshing on tteokbokki and dak-galbi respectively
Exo member Suho and NCT’s Jaemin both caught officials’ eyes while doing volunteer work – but who was spotted backstage at reality TV show Superstar K1?