In the latest release of Stay Kids' I.N's "Youngest Private Life," the idol recalled a time when he was scouted and street cast to be a trainee despite being an artist housed under one of South Korea's biggest entertainment companies.
He revealed the event had happened during the group's "Double Knot" era. I.N was strolling down the street, minding his own business, when someone suddenly approached him. He said, "I think it was when we were promoting 'Double Knot'. I was walking down the street, and someone had suddenly stopped me."
I.N stopped to talk to the person, wondering what he had to say. He wasn't expecting this question, however: "Would you like to be a trainee under our company?" The idol expressed shock at the news, especially since it was as they were promoting a comeback.
I.N revealed to the man that he was already debuted, saying, "I said, 'I'm sorry, but I've already debuted.' The employee became really flustered." Then, they proceeded to ask the Stray Kids member what group he was from.
When I.N revealed the group he was under, the man immediately realized he was speaking to an idol from JYP Entertainment. The employee was apologetic and immediately apologized. "He started bowing down at ninety degrees and said, 'I'm sorry.' Then he left," according to I.N.
The employee was surely embarrassed by the ordeal, but I.N revealed that the incident was very upsetting for him. At the time, Stray Kids had already been actively promoting as a group, and the fact that the entertainment agency employee did not recognize him caused him to be upset. He said, "I was really sad back then. I had debuted, but it was upsetting. Nothing like that has happened these days, so it's alright. But I was so sad.... I think that's the perfect way to describe it. The incident was sad and funny."
There are lots of people who dream of being scouted by a company, but it can be upsetting to not be recognized once you've made your debut, and it must have been more upsetting to have been approached to be a trainee when you've already promoting as an idol.
He was able to laugh it off as not to worry STAYs, but people could see that he is still sad over the incident and that he just smiling to ease the mood. To see him talk about it, check out the video below, starting at 23:32.
I.N debuted in 2018 with Stray Kids under JYP Entertainment. He is the group's sub-vocalist and maknae. Prior to his debut, he was active as a child model. He was first introduced to the public as JYP Entertainment trainee when he appeared in the company's reality survival show "Stray Kids". The group had also released a single prior to the show's airing called "Hellevator". He and the other Stray Kids members made their debut through the show.
Before Stray Kids formerly debuted, the group released a pre-debut extended play titled "Mixtape", which contains six songs. The members actively co-wrote and co-composed numerous songs of the album. "Mixtape" went on to debut at number 2 on the Gaon Album Chart and the Billboard's World Albums Chart.
The group made their formal debut on March 26 of 2018. Their debut extended play, "I Am Not", debuted at number four on the Gaon Albums Chart.
In 2019, the boys embarked on their first world tour, starting in South Korea. They were meant to release their fifth extended play, "Clé: Levanter," a day after the completion of their South Korea concert, but member Woojin suddenly left the group, causing the album to be delayed for two weeks.
On March 2020, Stray Kids made their official Japanese debut with the compilation album "SKZ2020", which featured their famous Korean songs and Japanese versions. In June 2020, they released their first Japanese single album called "Top." The song was then used as the theme song for the anime "Kami n To -Tower of God-."
The boys' most recent comeback was in June of 2020 with their first-ever studio album "Go Live," which contained the title track "God's Menu."
