It’s easy to dream about becoming a K-pop idol, but getting into the system is another story. Before the relentless schedules, dorm life, and survival evaluations even begin, there’s one monumental hurdle: being chosen. So how do companies decide who gets a shot at being a trainee? What exactly are they looking for? Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the real process of K-pop trainees with the scouting and global auditions using firsthand accounts, agency statements, and insider analysis to reveal how K-pop stars are born.
How to Become K-pop Trainees: Global Auditions or Direct Scouting
By the time you’re reaching this article, you must have understood what it actually means to become and actually live as K-pop trainees. But today, let’s talk about how everything started in the beginning and how you actually start and eventually get yourself into the K-pop trainee system.
First of all, most trainees begin their journey through one of two paths: open auditions or direct scouting.
How to Become K-pop Trainees: Open Auditions
Open auditions are typically held domestically in Korea and increasingly abroad in major cities, for example Los Angeles, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Jakarta. Companies such as SM Entertainment, JYP, HYBE, and YG routinely announce casting calls through their official websites and SNS channels.
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In an interview with BBC, a former trainee named Euodias revealed that she attended a massive open audition in Seoul—with more than 2,000 other aspiring K-pop trainees. Contestants waited hours without chairs, only to be dismissed within seconds if they failed to meet expectations. When Euodias was asked to sing and dance on the spot—despite not preparing for either—her willingness to perform freestyle earned her a callback.
Meanwhile, Katherine Lee from “Produce 101” mentioned she auditioned casually during a holiday trip to Korea—and was later pursued for her “international appeal” despite having no dance or vocal background.
How to Become K-pop Trainees: Scouting
For others, the journey begins via scouting. Scouts often browse social media or even public places like malls and schools. NCT member Taeyong became a K-pop trainee after an SM Entertainment scouted him on the street. At the time, he really knew nothing about K-pop. Meanwhile, EXO member Sehun was even scouted when he was in elementary school.
In both paths, appearance plays an undeniable role. Even at the earliest stage, agencies are already visualizing how a candidate might fit into future concepts.
How Global Casting Changed the Game
As K-pop’s global expansion accelerated in the 2010s, so did global casting strategies.
HYBE, JYP, and SM regularly host global auditions targeting non-Korean talent. This is how groups like TWICE (Sana, Momo, Mina from Japan), Stray Kids (Bang Chan and Felix are Korean-Australian), and NewJeans (Danielle and Hanni, Korean-Australian and Vietnamese-Australian respectively) emerged.
Paul Thompson, CEO of a K-pop agency MZMC, confirmed in his CNN interview that agencies now sift through thousands of applicants worldwide—not only for talent but to capture fresh visuals and cultural influences. Being multilingual or having Western looks can be a major advantage in this increasingly international scene.
Still, this shift comes with its own pressures: foreign trainees often face cultural barriers, heavier criticism, and additional burdens to assimilate.
What Agencies Really Look For in K-pop Trainees: NOT Just Singing and Dancing
Contrary to popular belief, having that exceptionally raw talent is NOT the only thing agencies prioritize. In fact, selecting K-pop trainees actually involves a complex blend of visual assessment, marketability, work ethic, and growth potential. That’s why not only the initial stage, but the whole process of becoming K-pop trainees will feel extremely painful and excruciating.
Visuals and Star Potential
Firstly, despite singing and dancing skills, most agencies still place heavy weight on visuals from day one.
A former trainee posting anonymously on Reddit shared that even when skill levels were similar, visual appeal often decided who was favored. Former K-pop trainee Euodias also recalled being asked to walk a taped line and pose for cameras immediately after her audition.
Character and Adaptability
Secondly, trainees aren’t just judged based on their performance only. In fact, agencies assess how well they adapt to instruction.
Katherine Lee even once explained that seniority-based cultural expectations—like bowing properly or staying silent around older trainees—factored into evaluations.
Work Ethic and Trainability
Thirdly, perfect skill isn’t required initially—but a demonstrable willingness to endure training is.
Trainees like Yun from MZMC, who survived three years of monthly eliminations, were actually valued for their stamina and attitude, not just their singing. Meanwhile, NMIXX Haewon also once mentioned that JYP Entertainment also highly valued attitude.
So, no matter how impressive your talents are, you must have good attitude to successfully become K-pop trainees.
Market Readiness
Finally, agencies also forecast how a trainee’s image will evolve. Visual maturity, market trends, and audience resonance are major unspoken criteria.
As revealed in the CNN report, appearance modifications (including plastic surgery) are normalized considerations early on—even before debut discussions.
The Reality of Pre-Contract Expectations
The harsh reality and demands of becoming K-pop trainees actually started way before you signed those formal contracts. These agencies have set certain standards and expectations regarding weight control, schooling, and even parental involvement.
Euodias shared that her initial contract included clauses that would force her family to repay training costs if she quit prematurely. Katherine Lee said that many new trainees were encouraged—sometimes unofficially—to consider dieting, surgery, and image modifications almost immediately after being scouted.
In many cases, as revealed by the anonymous Reddit trainee, companies expect early commitment to “improvement plans”—diet schedules, stamina tests, and beginner evaluations—before officially offering a trainee position.
The Myth of Equal Opportunity: Scouting vs Auditions
While open or global auditions present an image of “anyone can make it,” reality shows a completely different story for these K-pop trainees.
Once inside, the path often favors those already pre-scouted or personally recommended. Katherine Lee implied that her acceptance into “Produce 101” wasn’t fully organic—her agency had pre-arranged spots for its trainees, thanks to insider industry relationships.
This dual system may seem open to everyone in theory. However, they are still highly filtered by favoritism in the real practice. And so, it explains why many skilled trainees still fail to debut, while others glide through on connections.
Becoming K-pop Trainees: Entry Is Only the First Test
Finally, if you wish to become K-pop trainees, you must first understand that beyond what seems to be a glamorous life, everything actually begins with a system that’s extremely rigorous, filled with constant demands, and—ultimately—judgment.
In global auditions, the companies will judge K-pop trainees on appearance and raw nerves. And even if you become K-pop trainees from scouting process, they will still judge you based on marketability over merit.
So yes, the path into K-pop training is brutal long before the real challenges begin.
And yet, for many, that first acceptance call feels like a dream.
It’s only later—after dorm rules, weigh-ins, endless evaluations, and silent eliminations—that they realize: entry was just the first test in a much longer fight for survival.
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Sources: BBC, BuzzFeed, Reddit, Quora (2023), Quora (2021), CNN (2025), SCMP.
