SOURCE: SM 센터장 "라이즈 원빈, 다른 기획사서 채갈까 봐 서울역서 마스크 동행" [유퀴즈]
On the episode of 'You Quiz on the Block' that aired on the 4th, Director of SM Entertainment's Idol Development Center Yoon Heejun, who has produced numerous stars including Super Junior, SNSD, EXO, and Aespa for over 20 years, shared stories about her keen eye for talent and behind-the-scenes of casting.
Director Yoon recalled, "I personally cast EXO's Chanyeol. Back then, we scouted people in front of schools or even jumped out of moving taxis to cast someone on the street."
However, casting methods have evolved as the time passes by. She explained, "These days we do things differently. We also cast via social media too. In RIIZE Wonbin's case, we casted them through DM."
Director Yoon's determination to secure Wonbin was incredibly strong. She explained, "When Wonbin was coming from Ulsan to Seoul for his audition, I went to Seoul Station myself to pick him up because I was worried another agency might snatch him first."
Wonbin recalled, "I got the DM on my way home from school like any other day. But for some reason, I felt drawn into it." He added, "As soon as I arrived at Seoul Station for the audition, they put a mask on me and took me away. They even told me to cover my name tag," drawing laughter from everyone in the studio.
A video from Wonbin's trainee days in 2019 was also revealed for the first time in the episode, sparking admiration from the viewers.
Director Yoon praised Wonbin's talent, saying, "Since we cast him through social media, we had never seen him dance or sing before, but his skills improved incredibly fast."
She continued, "In his early trainee videos, you can see him watching the older trainees from the corner of the practice room, but then he moves forward to the front. That's not something that's easy to do." He named Wonbin as a 'fiercely driven idol,' following in the footsteps of EXO's Kai and NCT's Doyoung, raising expectations for his future.
