Suho, who returned as a soloist in about two years, talked about his 10-year career in an interview. There, he briefly mentioned SHINee, whom he trained with before his debut in EXO.
EXO Suho Confessed Hardships During Trainee Days When SHINee Debuted
On April 19, Esquire Korea unveiled their interview with EXO Suho, in line with the release of his second mini-album "Grey Suit."
There, Suho talked about his career from his trainee days, his debut in EXO as a soloist, as well as his military life.
One of the topics that gained the attention was when Esquire asked the "Self Portrait" singer, "When did you experience the most diverse emotions?"
Suho responded:
"From senior in high school to freshman in college. SHINee-sunbaenim debuted at that time. The seniors that I was practicing with together debuted. During that time, I suffered a leg injury, and my debut was delayed for various reasons."
ALSO READ: EXO Suho Draws Mixed Responses After Allegedly Calling New Idols ‘Lazy’
In particular, Suho entered SM Entertainment in 2005 after being cast while doing volunteer service. It was said he almost debuted with SHINee (comprised of Jonghyun, Onew, Key, Minho, Taemin). However, it was not confirmed.
During this interview, Suho said was having difficulties when SHINee debuted in 2008. The "Decanting" singer continued to train for seven years until he was finally picked as the leader for SM's boy group, EXO, in 2012.
Can you actually imagine Suho debuting in SHINee instead of EXO? Tell us your thoughts!
EXO Suho Opens Up on School Life, How He Surpassed Challenges
As the interview went on, Suho conveyed that while he was having difficulties as a trainee, he also struggled at school. He went on by explaining:
"That's how I prepared for college entrance exams. It's hard to be a high school senior, right?"
The interviewer agreed it was the hardest year for Korean students.
Despite the slump, Suho, fortunately, was still able to overcome struggles, thanks to the important people around him.
"There were times when I really wanted to give up everything. Thanks to the encouragement of my parents, older brother, and acting teacher, I was able to do it until the end. All the friends I met in Han Yejong's film department are now popular actors. I went to orientation and MT with them. I really enjoyed my college life."
"I had a lot of fun during that year. From the third year of high school to the first year of college, I feel like the joys and sorrows of my life are the most compressed."
On the other hand, Suho, who made a comeback on April 4 after he was discharged from the military, talked about the inspiration for his second mini-album, "Grey Suit." The singer mentioned that the concept of the album was based on the book, "Momo," carrying the theme of how precious time is.
He also talked about EXO's maknae Sehun, whom he treats as his younger sibling.
Suho particularly reminisced how they once shared a room. He became sentimental while talking about how Sehun had already grown taller than him since their first meeting when the latter was only in sixth grade.
Before the interview concluded, Suho conveyed his aspiration to become a songwriter and to debut in Hollywood not as an actor but as someone who will make projects within Hollywood's system alongside global stars.
[Click HERE to read EXO Suho's full interview article with Esquire Korea]
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Written by Eunice Dawson
