Two decades after their debut, BIGBANG remains a name that audiences continue to talk about. Not only for their impressive musical legacy, but also for the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories that continue to be revealed, pieces that make the portrait of this legendary group even more vivid.
Currently, BIGBANG is active as a three-member group consisting of G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. However, the original lineup had five members, including TOP and Seungri. After the 2019 Burning Sun scandal, Seungri retired from the entertainment industry. In May 2023, TOP officially confirmed his departure from the group. These lineup changes have left fans with deep regret, but few people know that during the initial stage of formation, BIGBANG almost had one more member: Lee Soo Hyuk.
Lee Soo Hyuk began his career as a model in 2006. In 2017, he joined YG Entertainment, the agency that manages BIGBANG, and worked in both fashion and acting before moving to SARAM Entertainment in 2025. Although he was never an official member of the group, Lee shares a special memory related to BIGBANG’s early days of training.
In episode 94 of the YouTube show “ZIP DAESUNG”, Lee Soo Hyuk appeared alongside G-Dragon and Daesung, reminiscing about their lesser-known early years. According to Lee, when they were still in high school, G-Dragon once called him to ask if he knew anyone who could sing and dance well to recommend for a new idol group. At that time, BIGBANG’s trainee lineup reportedly only consisted of G-Dragon and Taeyang, and they were urgently looking for more members.
Looking back on that moment, Lee revealed that he named himself, almost as a joke. “It was me!” he repeated his old remark with a smile. However, the response he received from G-Dragon made everyone in the studio burst into laughter. According to Lee, the BIGBANG leader bluntly said that he wasn’t suitable because he was too tall.
G-Dragon admitted that he did not clearly remember the details of the conversation, but after hearing the story again, he humorously agreed that it “seems reasonable.” He also teased that Lee Soo Hyuk might have been better suited for TVXQ instead. According to his agency profile, Lee is 1.85 meters tall, an impressive height that could have created a significant imbalance within the group at the time.
This small but funny story leaves fans wondering: If G-Dragon had said yes back then, would BIGBANG’s story have taken a different path? While the answer will forever remain hypothetical, behind-the-scenes memories like this continue to contribute to BIGBANG’s enduring appeal—a group whose “almost” moments are enough to hold audiences’ attention even 20 years later.
Sources: Netizenbuzz
