Seohyun Reveals Strict Trainee Culture at SM: “Juniors Had to Arrive 30 Minutes Early to Clean”
On April 16, a new episode titled “Seohyun Comes to Set Hyoyeon Straight (with Banmal)” was uploaded to the YouTube channel Hyo’s Level Up. The video featured Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun as a guest, joining Hyoyeon for a candid and humorous conversation.
While chatting, Hyoyeon brought up how the age gap among the Girls’ Generation members wasn’t very wide, saying, “Yoona is only one year younger. Now Seohyun is only 2 years younger.” Seohyun joked in response, “People think there’s a 10-year age difference,” sparking laughter. Hyoyeon then noted, “Because she was so courteous and respectful to us, people seemed to think she was much younger than us. But why did you go that far?”
Seohyun explained, “When we were in elementary school and became SM trainees, we had to speak formally to seniors and juniors.”
She specifically recalled, “I remember Yuri unnie telling me, ‘You can’t speak informally,’ and ‘You must use formal language.’ From then on, it became ingrained in me.” When Hyoyeon asked if there was someone who took the lead in enforcing that discipline, Seohyun laughed and admitted, “Yuri unnie.”
Reflecting on their trainee days, Hyoyeon mentioned that when Tiffany first arrived from overseas and struggled with the language and culture, Seohyun would explain SM’s rules to her. Seohyun added with a laugh, “Right, juniors had to arrive 30 minutes earlier and clean the floor. But Tiffany was like, “I don’t understand Korean well’!” sending both of them into laughter as they recalled the moment.
The lighthearted conversation shed new light on the strict hierarchical culture within SM Entertainment during the early years of Girls’ Generation, sparking nostalgia and amusement for fans familiar with the group’s early days.
