On March 4, tvN premiered an upcoming episode of the talk show Take the block quizfeaturing several notable guests, including historian Shin Byung-joo, SM Entertainment executive Yoon Hee-jun, veteran singer Kim Gun-mo and 17-year-old gold medalist Choi Ga-on.
The reality behind SM’s idol training system
Yoon Hee-jun, who spent 22 years helping develop idols at SM Entertainment, currently heads the company’s Artist Development Center. He oversees the entire process of cultivating future stars, from casting and training to selecting the final debut members.
During the show, Yoon addressed long-standing rumors about SM’s audition system and revealed how competitive it truly is. “Every year around 150,000 people apply, but only around 10 survive to become trainees,” he explained. This means that the acceptance rate is an astonishing 0.00867%, highlighting the extreme difficulty of getting into one of K-pop’s most influential agencies.
Even stars need discipline
sm entertainment trainee selection odds
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Yoon also shared behind-the-scenes stories about SM artists, including a time when he personally went to Seoul Station to welcome a member of RIIZE. Furthermore, he hinted at stories related to the hit song Golden, promising insights into the intense preparation behind the scenes. A statement from the executive immediately attracted attention: “Even stars need to be scolded.” The remark reflects SM’s long-standing philosophy that discipline and rigorous training remain essential even after idols achieve fame.
The episode of Take the block quiz will air on March 4 at 8:45 PM KST.
