Aespa's Winter Reveals Her Journey to SM Entertainment: From Rejections to Success

Aespa member Winter recently shared her behind-the-scenes audition story with SM Entertainment.

On the YouTube channel 'TEO Teo,' hosted by Jang Do-yeon, an episode titled 'Winter's Spine-Chilling Tales' was released as part of the 'Salon Drip 2' series, episode 97.

In the video, Winter, who hails from the Gyeongsang Province, mentioned that her dialect slips out when she's angry. She explained, "I start speaking faster and enunciate more clearly. For instance, when I say something isn't right, other members speak plainly, but my accent becomes more pronounced."

Jang Do-yeon humorously noted, "It's not just the accent; your gaze was quite intense too." She added, "I heard people from Gyeongsang call each other by their last names." Winter confirmed, "We often say 'Hey, Kim Min-jung' instead of using first names, and if someone calls me without the last name, it feels like they want something or did something wrong."

When asked if this was the same at home, Winter replied, "My parents call me 'Jeong-ah,' but when they're angry, it's 'Kim Min-jung.'" Jang Do-yeon inquired about her siblings, and Winter mentioned she has an older brother who calls her 'Kim Min-jung,' showcasing their sibling dynamic.

Jang Do-yeon asked how long Winter trained at SM. Winter revealed, "I signed in 2017 and trained for three years," recalling her multiple unsuccessful auditions. She shared, "The SM staff took my brother instead of me, which made me question if I was the reason he came along."

Winter continued, "My brother auditioned too, and I did better than him. He wasn't bad, but still." She added, "I was initially rejected after being scouted at a dance festival and again at the SM Global Audition in Busan."

Winter explained, "I thought SM wasn't for me and auditioned elsewhere, receiving positive signals. I was in contact with the SM casting team, and when I mentioned considering another company, they asked me to try once more. On my third attempt, I was accepted by SM." Jang Do-yeon remarked, "That's amazing. It seems you were destined to be Winter."

Reporter: Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr