On December 18, a fan account shared an anecdote originally told by singer Sunmi on X (formerly Twitter). Sunmi described a young Jihyo, quiet and reserved, who often hangs around older trainees but occasionally surprises them with playful hits during moments of teasing. The post included a rare video showing TWICE’s Jihyo as a child playfully hitting 2PM’s Taecyeon, highlighting her innocent and cheeky personality.
While the video amused some fans, many were disturbed by how young Jihyo was when she first started training. Jihyo joined JYP Entertainment at just 8 years old in 2005 and trained for 10 years before debuting with TWICE. She had also briefly trained at SM Entertainment at the age of 7.
The clip reignited concerns about the K-Pop industry’s recruitment of children in training. Fans have criticized the harsh environment the young trainees endure, with comments such as: “This is just extremely scary and sad” and “The K-Pop industry needs to be heavily regulated because there is no reason why a 7 year old should train at this age.” Others questioned the role of parents: “Not only do we know that companies are mean, but what kind of parents would allow this.”
While debuting young has long been a part of K-Pop, the clip has fueled ongoing discussions about its impact on idols’ mental and physical well-being. Critics are now calling for tougher rules and better protections for young trainees in the entertainment industry.
