It was revealed that SM Entertainment went to great lengths to cast someone, making him scared at the time.
The 333rd episode of tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block, airing on the 4th, is themed “Today That Becomes History.” The broadcast will feature historian Shin Byung Joo, SM Entertainment’s Director Yoon Hee Jun, singer Yoon Jong Shin, and 17-year-old gold medalist Choi Ga On, among others, sharing various stories.
In particular, the behind-the-scenes story of casting from Yoon Hee Jun, director of SM’s Artist Development Center, draws attention. Yoon oversees the entire artist development process from scouting new talent to training and selecting debut members.
In a recently released preview, MC Yoo Jae Suk mentioned, “There’s a saying that the SM casting team is everywhere,” and brought up an anecdote related to RIIZE member Wonbin.
He said, “I heard they went all the way to Seoul Station to pick up Wonbin from Ulsan so he wouldn’t be taken by another agency,” sparking curiosity.
In response, Director Yoon explained, “It wasn’t exactly Seoul Station, but as soon as he arrived in Seoul, he could have been spotted by representatives from other companies,” and that she instructed staff at the time to “go personally and bring him.”
Wonbin also shared his memories in an interview, saying, “As soon as I arrived in Seoul, the staff put a mask on me and told me to cover my name tag, which was a bit scary and baffling,” candidly revealing his feelings.
You Quiz on the Block airs every Wednesday at 8:45pm.