Beloved Actress Reveals The Painful Reality Check That Helped Her Move On From SM Entertainment

Actress Gong Seung Yeon is set to appear in the upcoming episode of tvN‘s You Quiz On The Block, where she was seen opening up about the difficult period she went through after leaving SM Entertainment without debuting.

On May 18, 2026 (KST), tvN released a preview clip of Gong Seung Yeon’s episode. In the video, the actress looked back on her seven years as a trainee at SM Entertainment and spoke honestly about how lost she felt after that chapter of her life came to an end.

Host Yoo Jae Suk brought up Gong Seung Yeon’s unusual path into the company, explaining that she had once participated in a gayageum competition and was chosen as the “best-looking” contestant. That eventually led to her spending seven years as an SM trainee.

Gong Seung Yeon revealed that she trained during the same era as several of SM’s biggest artists, including Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, f(x), SHINee, EXO, and Red Velvet. When asked what trainee life was like, however, Gong Seung Yeon gave a surprisingly blunt answer.

I really didn’t have much talent, so I wasn’t good at it. I couldn’t sing, and I couldn’t dance… There’s a reason I never debuted there.

— Gong Seung Yeon

Behind the humor, however, Gong Seung Yeon admitted that the experience was difficult. Surrounded by talented trainees, she said she often wondered whether she should quit. After dedicating seven years to training and leaving SM without debuting, she felt deeply uncertain about her future.

The person who eventually helped her snap out of that difficult period was her mother, though her words stung at the time.

I was sad, anxious, and really lost. I had gotten into school, but I had no idea how to start acting on my own. But my mom snapped me out of it. She told me, ‘How long are you going to waste your life like this?’

It hurt, but it was the push that I needed. I had just been lying around at home, but I got up and started looking for people who could help me get auditions.

— Gong Seung Yeon

Thanks to mom’s brutal honesty, Gong Seung Yeon is now an irreplaceable talent in the industry!

Gong Seung Yeon’s full appearance will air on May 20 at 8:45 PM. Watch the full teaser here: