KiiiKiii’s Members Shock with Academic Past: Ranked 7th in Middle School, Dreamed of Becoming a Doctor
Rookie girl group KiiiKiii, known as IVE’s little sister group under Starship Entertainment, recently made a surprise guest appearance on the March 26 broadcast of SBS PowerFM’s “Cultwo Show”, where member Jiyu’s impressive academic history became a major talking point.
When a listener pointed out her regional accent, Jiyu shyly admitted, “I’m from Busan.” Asked when she moved to Seoul, she explained, “I was cast in middle school and started traveling back and forth to train. I officially moved to Seoul during high school.” On adjusting her accent, she shared, “I didn’t try to fix it intentionally, but since all my members speak in the Seoul dialect, I naturally picked it up,” and gave everyone a good laugh by saying “picked it up” in a Busan-style tone.
Jiyu revealed that becoming a singer wasn’t always her dream. “I didn’t really have a specific job I wanted. I just wanted to live life earnestly.” A listener then revealed she was a graduate of Busan Foreign Language High School, one of the most prestigious schools in Korea.
Surprised by this, the DJs responded, “You must’ve been good at studying.” Jiyu humbly replied, “I’ve always had a mindset of doing everything diligently, so I aimed for that kind of high school. I was still thinking about academics at the time.”
When asked if she was okay giving up school for music, she said, “This is a job you can only enjoy at this age. I figured I can always study later. So I thought, ‘You only live once, let’s do everything I want to try.’”
On her best academic ranking, Jiyu answered, “7th place in middle school? I’m not sure. I don’t really remember, but I think it was a single-digit rank.” DJs Kim Tae-gyun and Lee Jae-yul joked, “We’re going with 7th nationwide!”
Another member, Leesol, who is from Mokdong, also drew attention when a listener revealed her childhood dream was to become a doctor. In awe, Lee Jae-yul commented, “What an elite group.” Leesol shared, “My parents thought it was important to gain a variety of experiences, so they always told me, ‘Try whatever you want, whether it’s arts, sports, or academics.’”
She continued, “Rather than picking what I liked best, I wanted a job that could comfort others. I never thought I could become an idol when I was young, so I wanted to become a doctor to help people who were struggling. Then in high school, I started reflecting on myself, where do I get my energy from during hard times? I kept thinking of artists, and that’s when I began dreaming of becoming one.”
KiiiKiii officially made their debut on March 24 with their first mini-album “UNCUT GEM,” which includes six tracks, including the pre-release single “I DO ME” released on February 24. As Starship’s first girl group in four years since IVE, KiiiKiii is gaining attention not only for their fresh sound and visuals, but also for their brains, boldness, and sincerity.