For foreign K-Pop fans who may want to know about K-pop bands' pre-debut stories, The Korea Times reveals the stories behind several girl bands' debuts.
Idols have to go through a training period before making a debut. And some members of different girl groups are closely intertwined because they trained together.
Some trainees who practiced under the same agency made their debuts in different bands in unexpected ways.
Are you curious? Well, read on.
Sistar's Hyorin
Hyorin was initially supposed to be a band with Secret's Song Ji-eun, EXID's Hani and Bestie's Uji under JYP Entertainment.
Before 2011, JYP Entertainment was preparing to introduce a four member girl group, which consisted of Song Ji-eun, Uji, Hyorin and Hani. However, the debut was canceled just before debut for unknown reasons, and all of them left the company.
Hyorin was later picked up by Starship Entertainment and debuted in June 2010 as four-member girl group Sistar.
Meanwhile, Ji-eun joined TS Media in 2009 two months before making a debut as a member of Secret.
AB Entertainment scouted Uji in May 2011. After joining the entertainment company, Uji contacted Hani, who went to China to study after she failed to make her debut, to form a team.
Secret's Jun Hyo-seong
Jun Hyo-seong was originally set to debut in 2007 as a member of Five Girls under Good Entertainment, along with Wonder Girl's Yubin, After School's Uee, G.NA and former T-ARA member and current Spica member Yang Ji-won. However, the group disbanded because of the company's financial problems. The trainees then made their debuts in different groups.
Sistar's Soyou
Soyou was initially a trainee at CUBE Entertainment and was set to debut with Heo Ga-yoon of 4Minute. The copany suggested adding three members to form a five-member group. Former Wonder Girl's member Kim Hyun-a, Nam Ji-hyun, Jeon Ji-yoon and Kwon So-hyun were scouted to join the team. However, original member Soyou was made redundant after an image test. 4Minutes debuted in June 2009.
T-ara's Hyomin
Before debuting with T-ara, Hyomin, who was famous for being so-called "ulzzang," the term literally meaning "best face" or "good-looking", was a trainee under JYP Entertainment. There was a widespread rumor that Hyomin would replace Hyun-a, a member of Wonder Girls.
However, Core Contents Media contacted her and she became a member of T-ara, along with Jiae, Jiwon, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon. After Jiae and Jiwon left the group in June 2006, Boram, Qri and Soyeon joined the team in July 2009.
Meanwhile, Soyeon was preparing to join Girls' Generation under SM Entertainment. However, she left the company six months before debut for a personal reason.
Idols have to go through a training period before making a debut. And some members of different girl groups are closely intertwined because they trained together.
Some trainees who practiced under the same agency made their debuts in different bands in unexpected ways.
Are you curious? Well, read on.
 |
| Hyorin of Sistar (left), Song Ji-eun of Secret, Hani of EXID, and Uji of Bestie |
Sistar's Hyorin
Hyorin was initially supposed to be a band with Secret's Song Ji-eun, EXID's Hani and Bestie's Uji under JYP Entertainment.
.jpg/dims/resize/84/optimize)
Before 2011, JYP Entertainment was preparing to introduce a four member girl group, which consisted of Song Ji-eun, Uji, Hyorin and Hani. However, the debut was canceled just before debut for unknown reasons, and all of them left the company.
Hyorin was later picked up by Starship Entertainment and debuted in June 2010 as four-member girl group Sistar.
Meanwhile, Ji-eun joined TS Media in 2009 two months before making a debut as a member of Secret.
AB Entertainment scouted Uji in May 2011. After joining the entertainment company, Uji contacted Hani, who went to China to study after she failed to make her debut, to form a team.
 |
| Spica's Yang Ji-won (left), G.NA, Secret's Jun Hyo-seong, After School's Uee and Wonder Girl's Yubin were supposed to be a team. /Screen capture from YouTube |
Secret's Jun Hyo-seong
Jun Hyo-seong was originally set to debut in 2007 as a member of Five Girls under Good Entertainment, along with Wonder Girl's Yubin, After School's Uee, G.NA and former T-ARA member and current Spica member Yang Ji-won. However, the group disbanded because of the company's financial problems. The trainees then made their debuts in different groups.
 |
| Soyou of Sistar (left) and Heo Ga-yoon of 4Minute |
Sistar's Soyou
Soyou was initially a trainee at CUBE Entertainment and was set to debut with Heo Ga-yoon of 4Minute. The copany suggested adding three members to form a five-member group. Former Wonder Girl's member Kim Hyun-a, Nam Ji-hyun, Jeon Ji-yoon and Kwon So-hyun were scouted to join the team. However, original member Soyou was made redundant after an image test. 4Minutes debuted in June 2009.
 |
| Hyomin (left) and Soyeon/ Courtesy of MBK Entertainment |
T-ara's Hyomin
Before debuting with T-ara, Hyomin, who was famous for being so-called "ulzzang," the term literally meaning "best face" or "good-looking", was a trainee under JYP Entertainment. There was a widespread rumor that Hyomin would replace Hyun-a, a member of Wonder Girls.
However, Core Contents Media contacted her and she became a member of T-ara, along with Jiae, Jiwon, Eunjung, Hyomin and Jiyeon. After Jiae and Jiwon left the group in June 2006, Boram, Qri and Soyeon joined the team in July 2009.
 |
| Trainees who were allegedly supposed to debut as Girl's Generation/ Courtesy of Twitter |
Meanwhile, Soyeon was preparing to join Girls' Generation under SM Entertainment. However, she left the company six months before debut for a personal reason.
![[INTERVIEW] 'The Flag': Kwon Jin-ah's love letter to people chasing their dreams](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/286500d853334c96ab51e56d74fe38f2.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
