Seo Hyun-jin Shares Her Debut Story with SM Entertainment and “M.I.L.K” Group
On the November 20 broadcast of tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block,” Seo Hyun-jin shared how she ended up auditioning for SM Entertainment during a special episode. During the show, MC Yoo Jae-suk mentioned, “Hyun-jin, you’ve been in the industry for 19 years, and if we count ‘M.I.L.K,’ it’s over 20 years. You’re undeniably great at acting, and as everyone knows, you’re a former main vocalist of SM Entertainment.”
Seo Hyun-jin humbly responded, “Now, I only sing at karaoke,” before recalling her time with the group.
Comedian Jo Se-ho then asked, “Which other teams debuted around the same time as you?” Seo Hyun-jin reminisced, mentioning, “At that time, there were groups like Sugar and Black Beat.”
Jo Se-ho added, “Now, many people recognize you as an actress, but I still remember you as part of M.I.L.K. You were pretty popular back then, right?” Seo Hyun-jin replied candidly, “No, we weren’t, so I ended up leaving.”
Yoo Jae-suk expressed surprise, “I thought M.I.L.K was active for a longer time.” Seo Hyun-jin clarified, “We were only active for a year, and we only appeared on public broadcasts four times.”
Yoo Jae-suk then asked how Seo Hyun-jin got into the idol scene, to which she explained, “It was the era of street casting. I was walking on the streets of Ewha with my friends after a school outing when I met a scout from SM, and that’s how I got the audition.”
When Yoo Jae-suk inquired about her thoughts when she first received the audition opportunity, Seo Hyun-jin shared, “I was a fan of H.O.T. and S.E.S. at the time, so it felt really surreal. I just thought, ‘Let’s give it a try.’ I didn’t think it was a scam. Back then, I would have either sung songs by Park Hye-kyung or Park Ki-young, like ‘Confession’ or ‘Blue Sky.'”
Yoo Jae-suk further remarked that Seo Hyun-jin had a background in dance, having studied Korean traditional dance from elementary school and attended the National Gugak High School. He asked how her family reacted when she decided to join SM. Seo Hyun-jin shared, “My parents didn’t really understand what entering entertainment would lead to. They thought maybe I could become a news anchor, so they were okay with it. Looking back, even though I had worked so hard in dance and passed the entrance exams for a prestigious school, it’s surprising that I ended up leaving that path so suddenly.”
Seo Hyun-jin also gave an impromptu performance of M.I.L.K’s hit song “Come To Me,” showcasing her clear voice and impressive vocal ability. Yoo Jae-suk complimented her, “You’re really good. You were the main vocalist for sure.”
She also reflected on her journey, “After transferring to a regular high school from the National Gugak High School, I was invited to a performance by my old classmates who were in the dance major. When I saw them perform, I realized that I could no longer do that. I cried a lot after that, realizing that I had changed paths and joined SM, and I hadn’t fully accepted that I had switched my major at that point.”
Source: Daum
