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.
THE AGE RANGE FOR THIS KPOP COMPANY IS FROM 2008 TO 2017?!?!!!?! pic.twitter.com/8qYpBNmy3n
— noli (𝑵𝑿𝑻 ver.) – s19 is coming (@wavnoil) January 10, 2024
every person who is involved with the age decision should go to jail and then to hell https://t.co/Oc7w3YgrYn
— fortpeat yinwar firstkhao and neo in general (@sungjaebl) January 11, 2024
knowing my own sister who’s born in 2016 is gonna turn 8 this year… looking for 6 to 7 y/o trainees is fucking INSANE https://t.co/Q3MNeHXZBq
— chaï (@dokiweki) January 11, 2024
they need to update their labor laws cuz this is actually insane https://t.co/b5E3L7m1OP
— ◦ local cryptid ◦ (@myacrowave) January 11, 2024
