Curious to know how some of your favorite JYP Entertainment idols were cast into the company? Check it out below!
1. TWICE's Sana
Sana was street cast by a JYP Entertainment casting agent in middle school back in 2012. At the time, she was out shopping with her friends when they noticed her. The casting agent spoke in Korean, and lucky for Sana, she was with a Korean-Japanese friend who could speak the language. The casting agent showed pictures of the "Dream High" cast and identified the artist under the label. Sana, who was a fan of K-Dramas at the time, recognized the artist and agreed to audition for the company.
2. TWICE's Mina
In 2014, Mina was approached by a JYP Entertainment casting agent while she and her mother were out shopping in Osaka. She accepted the invitation and auditioned at the JYP Global Auditions in Osaka, which she passed. She ended up dropping out of school and moving to Korea to pursue her dream of being an idol.
3. Stray Kids' Hyunjin
Hyunjin was street cast while shopping with his mother. At the time, the agent suddenly grabbed his wrists. This shocked Hyunjin and he turned to them and asked who they are. In response, the agent gave Hyujin a card with JYP Entertainment listed on it. Due to the odd way of catching his attention, Hyunjin suspected he was being scammed. When he got home, he looked up the name and company and found out the man was not lying. He decided to push through with the auditions and was accepted as a JYP Entertainment trainee.
4. ITZY's Ryujin
Ryujin was cast while attending a GOT7 fan meeting. She has revealed on multiple occasions that she was approached while waiting in front of the female restroom. At the time, the casting agent had asked Ryujin for her number. Though hesitant, Ryujin gave the lady her number because she found her cute. They called her in for an audition and Ryujin was accepted as a trainee.
5. GOT7's Jackson
Jackson was noticed by a JYP Entertainment representative while playing basketball at his school. The representative approached Jackson and invited him to the JYP Global Auditions in Kowloon, which he passed in December 2010. At the time, he was offered a scholarship from Stanford University for his fencing, but he turned it down to move to Seoul and pursue his dream of being an idol.
6. Suzy
In 2009, Suzy auditioned for Mnet's "Superstar K". She passed the preliminary round but was ultimately eliminated. Though she did not advance far in the show, she caught the eye of a casting agent from JYP Entertainment and offered her an audition at the company. Suzy passed her auditions and became a trainee. She debuted in 2010 as a member of Miss A. In 2019, Suzy left JYP Entertainment and signed with Management SOOP.
7. 2PM's Nichkhun
While he was attending high school in Los Angeles, Nichkhun was scouted by a casting agent of JYP Entertainment while attending the Los Angeles Korean Music Festival. He was invited to an audition hosted by JYP Entertainment and passed, signing a ten-year contract with the company. He later re-signed an eight-year contract that did not include training and moved to Seoul in 2006. He debuted in 2008 with 2PM.
8. GOT7's Mark
In 2010, Mark was scouted by a JYP Entertainment representative while with his friends at school. At the time, Mark had no desire to pursue a career in music but ended up attending the audition with the encouragement of his friends and family who told him it was a good opportunity. He passed the auditions and moved to South Korea, dropping out of school. In 2012, he debuted with GOT7.
9. ITZY's Yuna
Yuna was spotted by a JYP Entertainment casting manager while attending a year-end music award concert. She was approached by a woman who handed her a business card. The woman asked Yuna to call her. At a fan sign, the idol was asked what song she performed, and Yuna revealed she didn't have to audition and was just accepted as a trainee on the spot
10. GOT7's JB
JB has been active as a breakdancer and B-boy since he was seven and competed in numerous competitions during his youth. So it's no surprise that he was cast at a breakdancing competition! While he was using the restroom, a JYP Entertainment casting agent noticed JB and invited him to attend the company's open auditions. He auditioned and tied first place with now fellow GOT7 member Jinyoung, and both signed under the company.
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11. TWICE's Dahyun
Dahyun was noticed by a JYP Entertainment casting agent when she was in middle school during a dance competition. At the time, Dahyun shined, as she choreographed the dance and arranged the music by herself. After the competition, the casting agent who noticed her potential offered to cast her as a trainee under the agency.
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12. TWICE's Tzuyu
In 2012, the dance school Tzuyu was part of uploaded a video of her group's recital to YouTube. The video was noticed by JYP Entertainment's casting team and a casting agent flew all the way to Taiwan to see Tzuyu. The agent recorded Tzuyu dancing and sent in back to JYP Entertainment. After getting the go-signal from the casting team, they signed Tzuyu as a trainee immediately.
