Netizens Praise SM Rookies’ Shohei As He Gets Honest About The Hate He Received For Being “Too Old” To Debut

“I can only say I’m proud of him.”

SM RookiesShohei has been the target of hate comments for his age in the past, and with his debut drawing closer, he is sharing his honest feelings on the subject.

SM Rookies’ Shohei | @smrookies/Twitter

When the three SM Rookies, Shohei, Eunseok and Seunghan, were revealed in 2022, the Internet was immediately rife with theories as to what group they’d be debuting in. Since then, it’s become clear that they will debut in NCT along with NCT’s Sungchan and Shotaro, most likely as members of the group’s new unit NCT Tokyo, though nothing has yet been confirmed.

SM Rookies with NCT’s Sungchan and Shotaro | @smrookies/Twitter

When the SM Rookies were first revealed, Shohei was suddenly faced with intense negativity about his age (and his alleged past job). Netizens had discovered that he was born in 1996, making him 25 or 26 years old at the time, and proceeded to criticize him heavily for being “too old.” Fortunately, he also gained plenty of support as fans pointed out the toxic age standards of the K-Pop industry.

In fact, many came to hope that Shohei will herald the end of the controversial practice of debuting children as idols.

In the final episode of the NCT reality show, welcome to NCT Universe, the SM Rookies were announced as ready for their upcoming debut.

In the same episode, however, Shohei got honest about the immense pressure he’s felt about his age, leaving many fans equal parts touched and angry. He admitted to having worried a lot about the issue over the last 4 years…

…especially since there were many, many detractors.

Understandably, he often tried simply not to think about it.

Thankfully, however, he is now coming to terms with his age. He has realized that regardless of his age, he has put in the work and is that much better for it.

Fans were once again upset that he got so much undeserved hate simply for being older…

…especially when the average debut age keeps getting dangerously younger.

Fans are definitely proud of Shohei and what he represents, and we can’t wait to see his debut!

Read further about netizens’ debate on Shohei’s age right here.

The Controversial Aspect Of The K-Pop Industry That Fans Hope SM Rookies’ Shohei Will Change