An Entertainment Company’s “Outrageous” Audition Requirement Disgusts Netizens

It seems to be a trend with this company.
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Kesha Bright
Kesha Bright

The first step for many idol hopefuls is to audition for the companies of their choice. Every label holds announced auditions each year, sometimes in multiple locations worldwide.

An SM Entertainment audition flyer. | SM Entertainment
Unrelated auditioners from Acopia. | ACOPIA

Recently, a company’s audition requirements left netizens shocked.

In November 2023, the survival program Universe Ticket began airing, with plans to debut the next big global K-Pop group. Eighty-two contestants from different countries have competed for their chance of debuting.

| SBS

One of the leading contestants is Lim Seowon, a trainee from LeanBranding Entertainment. The trainee is the youngest contestant on the show at 12 years old.

Lim Seowon | SBS

While the show has an episode remaining, the young trainee’s company has already begun its recruitment process, likely to form a group around Lim Seowon, depending on the show’s results.

| LeanBranding Entertainment

What stuck out from the audition notice to most was the age range of the audition. The company stated that those born from 2008 to 2017 could audition.

| LeanBranding Entertainment

This means the oldest trainees the company will accept are 15/16, depending on their birthdays, and the youngest is 6/7. While recruiting young trainees is not new, these ages may be some of the youngest openly requested.

Many active idols, including SHINee‘s Taemin, have discussed how debuting at a young age negatively affected them.

SHINee’s Taemin Regrets Debuting So Young

Netizens let their disdain be known, wondering how something like this could be allowed.

 

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