From V to Bambam: K-pop stars and how they became famous

Who wouldn't like the fame and money that comes attached with being a Korean pop star but did you know many of the famous faces from the industry are there because of sheer luck or by lieu of an accident and not because they actually auditioned for the part? Here’s how some members of huge bands like BTS, Got7, TVQX, TXT, ITZY, NCT and Girls’ Generation broke into the entertainment industry and reached where they are today.

BTS member V who rules hearts worldwide never imagined he's get so famous because he walked into an audition! He merely accompanied a friend who was auditioning with Big Hit Entertainment. He went with him to show him support. When he was there, he thought to give it a try too and surprisingly got selected. Unfortunately, the friend who wanted the gig wasnt selected. 

“I danced and they said, do you have something else? I sang for them and they asked, do you have anything else to show us? I beat-boxed and they asked, what else? I rapped and they said what else? I brought my saxophone and played it for them, to which they responded, do you have anything else to show us? It was then that I finally said no, I don’t have anything else to show you,” he said.
 

Would you believe BTS member Jungkook wasn’t looking out for a music career and instead wanted to pursue badminton? But when he saw Big Bang's G-Dragon performing the song Heartbreaker, Jungkook changed his mind.

He auditioned with popular Korean talent search show Superstar K but failed to impress there. However, he won the attention of entertainment companies. He chose Big Hit Entertainment because he thought rapper and future bandleader RM, who was already with the company, was “so cool”.

Jakson always wanted to follow his father who was a pro fencer. He had even won an Asian Games gold medal but fate had other plans for the star. A JYP Entertainment talent scout was impressed with his good looks and approached him for an audition. Jackson agreed because he thought BigBang was under JYP, and he had recently met the band’s members through a Korean schoolmate.

Jackson beat 2,000 applicants to be the winner and stayed with the company for 10 years, making his debut with Got7 in 2014.

For those who follow Bambam's life would be aware that he is from Thailand. Since his mother was a huge fan of Rain, it was through her he got interested in Korean culture, food and music.

In 2007, she entered BamBam for a cover dance competition in Thailand, hoping he would win the prize, which was dinner with Rain. Bambam obviously won but also became a trainee with JYP Entertainment and a Got7 key member later.

Would you beleive that Changmin became famous for his mother? Well, he was invited for an audition by an employee of SM Entertainment who had spotted him singing while playing badminton at a gym class. Changmin refused because he wasn’t interested in becoming a singer. However, his mother insisted he take it up as she wanted to meet K-pop queen BoA who was with AM.

For his mother's sake, Changmin did the army clap dance, and he got the call three days later.

Itzy member Ryujin has a unique story of becoming famous. It so happened that Ryujin was at a Got7 fan event as she went to use the restroom when a JYP Entertainment scout spotted her. 

The scout asked for her number but Ryujin was a little suspicious but gave out her number because she thought they were cute. That's how she became a part of the band later on. 

NCT member Taeyong was only 17 when he was approached on the street by someone who posed as one from "big three" agencies. The high school student wasn’t familiar with K-pop and thought it was one of Korea’s TV and radio networks, SBS, KBS or MBC.

He accepted the audition call because they bought him some toast. “Since they’re buying me good things, they must be good people, and I went,” he told Happy Together 4. He sang the national anthem because he didn’t know any other song, did some popping and was signed on to SM Entertainment.

Loaded with good looks, Taehyun was often chased by labels and Big Hit Entertainment were among the firsts to "catch" him. They even went to his school and that gave them a chance to bag the opportunity of signing him onto their label.

What's interesting is that he chose the opportunity simply because it was closes to his house.

Smart and funny Lucas was never too much into studies. He was anyway getting poor grades when he went for an audition in Hong Kong for SM. he made no preparations but it took only three model-like poses for him to get through. 

Girls’ Generation member Tiffany Pink is truly obsessed with the colour pink, so much so that it's said that she even selects only pink ice cream. She always wears pink outfits and has a pink coloured car. How she got selected is a funny story as SM Entertainment's pink card is what she picked out of many call cards she was offered at Korean festival in Los Angeles in 2004. 

When Tiffany asked SM's founder why the card was pink, he said because he liked the colour and that became her cue to take up the job offer.