Former BigHit Trainee Couldn't Believe One Thing About BTS Before Their Debut—So He Asked Them About It

Kim Jihoon, a former BigHit Entertainment (now BIGHIT Music) trainee, may not have debuted in BTS, but he formed a strong bond with the members while he was in the company.

Unfortunately, he was cut from the group before his dream of debuting could be realized.

That day, they called him into the office and asked him to leave the group. Not wanting them to see him cry, he walked to a nearby park and only let his emotions free when he sat down.

I felt scared the day they called me to the office. I was thinking, ‘What’s all this about?‘ At that point, I kind of had a hunch. I could feel it in their voice. I knew it was something serious that day. I went to the office and opened the door, and the room was really quiet. We had a meeting, and they told me I was getting cut from the group. I couldn’t cry in front of them so I went to a park. It was a park I often visited and I just sat there and let out a sigh.

— Kim Jihoon

His mental health started deteriorating. He had frequent breakdowns and skipped many classes as a result. More than anything, he missed BTS, the people he trained with every day.

One day, he decided to surprise them in their dorm with fried chicken.

Even after getting cut, before they debuted as a band, I once snuck back into the dorm with some fried chicken.

— Kim Jihoon

He used the opportunity to ask if their debut had been decided, and more importantly, if their final group name was really Bulletproof Boy Scouts. He was shocked to hear them confirm it.

When we were eating together, I asked them, ‘Are you really debuting? What will you be called? Will you really be called Bulletproof Boy Scouts?‘ And I was shocked that they were going with that name.

— Kim Jihoon

The “bulletproof boy scouts” name was mocked by numerous people when BTS first debuted, but as their fame grew, so did the public’s favorability towards it. It’s now a name that is loved and cherished!