Nayoung stated that she began dreaming of becoming a singer when she was in her first year of middle school, the time when she spotted Girls' Generation presenting "Gee" on a music program. The artist said, "I would learn the choreography of the song in front of a mirror at our house. I really love dancing while facing a mirror." "I dreamt of turning into a singer while thinking, 'I want to be on stage.' I would do dance covers with my companions at talent competitions," she added.
Nayoung then revealed how she came to be a trainee at Pledis Entertainment. She explained, "Pledis conducted an audition for the ninth member of girl group After School. Fortunately, I passed the first round. However, I was unable to appear in the second round because I had to attend school. I was so sad I had to miss it. After three to four months, Pledis emailed me and said that I captured their attention during the first round, but since I was not around in the second match, they wished to see me privately."
She continued, "I attended the exclusive audition and became a trainee. I think the company saw that I have the potential as they kept a close watch on me." Nayoung later shared that she initially planned on debuting at the age of 20. She remarked, "I trained for four years and six months and wanted to make a debut at 20, but I failed."
Furthermore, the singer opened up about "Produce 101," saying that she heard about it when she was a first-year college student. Nayoung noted, "I saw it as my last chance. I only thought about debuting at that time." She then shared her experiences while in the show. She commented, "We had to accomplish missions in a given period. They had to be of the highest quality, but we didn't have much time."
Lastly, Nayoung talked about her goals in the future and what kind of singer she aspires to be. She stated, "I love dancing. I want my fans to see my unique dancing style, even if it is through a small fan meeting." The singer concluded, "I wish to become a star whom everyone is curious about. A celebrity whom people admire and have high expectations for."
