KARA’s Park Gyuri Criticizes Former Agency DSP: “There Was No Structured Training”
On May 16, KARA’s Park Gyuri uploaded a video titled “2nd Gen Star Park Gyuri Drinks Daytime Soju with SS501 Oppas” to her YouTube channel “I’m Gyuri,” where she reunited with former SS501 members Heo Young-saeng and Kim Kyu-jong. The trio, who were all once under DSP—home to legendary groups like Sechs Kies and Fin.K.L—shared fond memories over a relaxed meal.
While reminiscing, Gyuri admitted that during her time as a trainee, she was intimidated by her seniors in SS501. “Back then, SS501 felt so untouchable to me. I couldn’t even make eye contact with them,” she said, laughing.
Kim Kyu-jong responded modestly, saying, “It wasn’t like that. You guys debuted right after us we were close in years.”
Their conversation soon shifted to the training environment at DSP. When Kim Kyu-jong asked Gyuri about her trainee experience, she candidly replied, _”They didn’t train us. There was no systematic structure.” _Heo Young-saeng quickly agreed, saying, “Same for us. That’s just how DSP was.”
Park Gyu-ri added, “It was basically, ‘figure it out yourself and grow on your own.'” Kim Kyu-jong echoed this sentiment, calling it a “survival of the fittest” environment.
The trio also recalled the now-legendary DSP basement studio in Cheongdam-dong, where trainees and idols alike once practiced. “We all trained there. It even appears in Buzz’s music video for ‘Coward,'” Kim Kyu-jong noted.
Gyuri added with a laugh, “When SS501 came to the studio, we’d always come out and greet you guys. But I guess you don’t remember. Maybe that’s the difference between trainees and already-debuted idols.”
Though light-hearted, the conversation offered a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the often chaotic and unregulated training environments of second-generation K-pop idols. Park Gyuri’s candid comments add to the growing discourse around how the idol system has evolved—and how far it’s come since those early days.
