From Trainee to Stardom: The Journey of K-Pop Idols Who Switched Agencies

G-Dragon of Big Bang and Jihyo of Twice are prime examples of idols who switched agencies before debuting and achieving massive success. Notably, Natty of Kiss of Life transitioned from a major agency to a smaller one and still reached the pinnacle of idol group success.

G-Dragon, who recently made a solo comeback with the single 'POWER' after seven years, debuted 18 years ago with Big Bang under YG Entertainment. Big Bang was a leading force in the K-pop boom of the mid-2010s. The LA Times described them as "the most successful band in K-pop over the past decade," praising their global popularity and ticket power comparable to pop stars like Adele, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. They were hailed as a "representative brand of Korean pop culture that led the K-pop renaissance."

Although G-Dragon is a former YG Entertainment artist, he revealed that he was once a trainee at SM Entertainment. On a recent episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' he shared, "No one knows this, but I was an SM trainee." He recounted, "I was a child actor on a children's program when I went to a ski resort and entered a dance competition. The host was Lee Soo-man." After five years as a trainee, he felt it wasn't the right fit and left SM Entertainment. He learned rap and participated in rapper albums, which caught the attention of YG Entertainment, leading to his recruitment.

Jihyo of Twice, a leading artist under JYP Entertainment, also confessed to being a former SM trainee. She revealed this on the YouTube channel 'Hyoyeon's Level Up.' Jihyo stated, "Before training for 10 years at JYP Entertainment, I spent a year at SM." She explained that she followed the casting manager who moved to JYP Entertainment.

Some fans expressed regret that Jihyo could have been a member of Girls' Generation, as she was a trainee before their debut. However, many believe it was for the best, as she debuted with Twice, a group recognized as a leading force of the third generation of K-pop girl groups.

Twice debuted in 2015 and continues to enjoy global popularity as they approach their 10th anniversary. Last year, they reached 84th on the Billboard Hot 100 main chart with 'Moonlight Sunrise' and topped the Global 200 chart with 'With YOU-th' released in February.

Natty of Kiss of Life, who debuted under S2 Entertainment, is another example of a 'miracle of a small agency.' She was a former trainee at both SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. In 2013, she passed the SM Entertainment Thailand Global Audition with her father's support and spent a few months as a pre-trainee. She reportedly lived with Red Velvet's Joy and Seulgi during that time.

Natty later passed the JYP Entertainment Thailand Global Audition and trained for about four years from the age of 11. She moved to JYP after receiving an acceptance call during her pre-trainee period at SM. Natty explained, "My mother was a fan of 2PM, so I chose JYP Entertainment."

After leaving JYP in 2017, Natty moved through four agencies before re-debuting with Kiss of Life. Since debuting under S2 Entertainment in July last year, she has achieved notable success, reaching 3rd on the Melon TOP100 chart within a year. Despite leaving major agency trainee programs, she pursued her dreams and achieved them, earning public admiration for her perseverance and talent.

Lee Min-kyung, Ten Asia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr