Super Junior’s Kyuhyun has opened up about the rollercoaster ride he went through before signing with SM Entertainment, revealing that he turned the company down not once but twice, and was once asked for a staggering sum of money by a different casting offer. The stories came out in a video titled 2nd Generation Idols are Just Excuses, released on October 24 on the YouTube channel Ddeun Ddeun.
Kyuhyun spoke about his trainee days before Super Junior’s debut, saying he trained for about a year. What was unusual, he explained, was that he joined the debut team almost as soon as he entered the company and started preparing right away.
Kyuhyun’s Street Casting Came With a Shocking Price Tag
Before SM Entertainment entered the picture, Kyuhyun was street-cast in front of his school. He went for a test and passed right away, but the offer came with a catch. He said the people behind it asked for around 100 million won, roughly $75,600, and that was about 23 to 24 years ago. Kyuhyun thought the demand was wrong and declined, a decision that now looks like a lucky escape.
Host Yoo Jae Suk kept the mood light during the chat, joking that Kyuhyun was not that good looking, which drew laughter. Kyuhyun fired back with a joke of his own, saying that since he is not handsome, joining the debut lineup immediately must mean he had tremendous skill.
Why Kyuhyun First Said No to SM Entertainment
Kyuhyun then revealed he initially declined an audition offer from SM Entertainment itself. At the time, he said, he told them he did not go to idol companies for casting. He had won the gold prize at the Buddy Buddy Star Contest, and teacher Park Sun Zoo was going to help develop him. Back then, Kyuhyun was thinking of becoming a ballad singer, not an idol.
But the plan fell apart when he lost contact with teacher Park Sun Zoo, who seemed really busy. When Kyuhyun looked over the contract, he found a clause saying that if Party A did not act within a few months, the contract would become null. So he called SM again.
Thankfully, the company gave him a second chance. Kyuhyun sang at the year-end evaluation where Girls’ Generation and SHINee performed, and the rest is K-pop history. From a street casting that demanded millions to a declined SM offer and a contract loophole, Kyuhyun’s path to Super Junior was anything but straightforward, and his honesty about it has fans seeing his debut story in a whole new light.
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Source: Koreaboo — read the full story there.
