Former Idol Trainee Gets Kicked Out After 1 Year, Reveals The Terrible Truth Behind K-Pop Training

Her dreams were shattered after 1 year of training at a popular agency.

A girl claiming to be a former trainee of a popular agency uploaded a post explaining all of the hardships she faced during the years.

She aspired to become an idol ever since she was 13 years old, but she never expected the path to be full of hate.

She began her post by expressing how she felt “embarrassed, empty and baffled at what just happened.

“I’ve been a training to be a trainee since I was 13 years old. I went to a special academy for 2 years until I was 15 years old. I later applied for two entertainment agencies and was eliminated on the first try. I also tried auditioning when I was 16 but I also got eliminated again.

However, when I was shy of turning 17, I got into a very good agency! It was like a miracle. I trained there for a total of 1 year and a half as if this was my last chance. I gave it my all but I can’t believe it ended this way. I just can’t believe it.

I knew it’d be hard to break into the industry. I knew training at the agency would be hard but it was much harder than I expected.”

— Former Trainee

A photo from an agency’s training program.

Once she entered the agency and began training, she encountered a senior trainee who decided to give her a tough time.

She was isolated, ignored and judged for her every move.

“The agency is famous for having trainees who’ve been with them for a long time, and naturally, they all formed their cliques already. I knew it would be difficult to become friends with them as someone who just joined the agency. But I thought if I worked hard everything would fall into place…

I was so nervous around them that I couldn’t even say hi. While training you have to mind their judging eyes… even when you’re eating. If I reported their behavior there nothing could be done. They were already in the debut class so the company loved them and protected them. I held my tongue for over a year with that in mind.”

— Former Trainee

She kept quiet for a long time until she had enough. But when she confronted the other trainee, the answer surprised her.

“I couldn’t handle it anymore so I mustered the courage to ask her why she kept bothering me. What she said shocked me so much… She said that I looked like someone she hated in the past so she naturally hated me when I first came. She said that I looked like a person she knew. The other girl apparently got better grades than her, the agency had liked the other girl more.

I didn’t understand her. I mean she was already in the debut class and I was just starting. There was never a time where we would’ve butt heads or anything. But she honestly believed that was an honest, valid reason to hate someone.”

— Former Trainee

After all of the hardships she faced and all the hate she had to quietly endure, she was ultimately kicked out of the agency.

After investing so many years into becoming an idol, she’s left without options and a divided future.

“Anyways, I was promptly kicked out of the company after the debut class was completed and a group was formed. The other people who didn’t make it was kicked out just like me but I still can’t believe what happened.

If I knew this would’ve happened, I would’ve said something sooner and not waited over 1 year just to be kicked out in the end.

I want to die. I am so angry… I am so sad I don’t know what is going on. I don’t know what I can do now.

Do I have to start studying? I don’t know. What if I decide to go to another company? What if all this repeats itself? I’m so scared now.”

— Former Trainee

A photo from an agency’s training program.

After reading her post, many netizens commented that she probably trained under FNC or JYP Entertainment; however, the former trainee updated her post by clarifying that she never trained in those two agencies.

Even though she hasn’t found a new label, she hasn’t given up hope in her dream to become an idol and still continues to prepare for other auditions.