SM Entertainment Reveals Never-Before-Heard Detail About RIIZE Wonbin’s Casting

In the second part of SM Entertainment‘s special program, K-POP The Beginning: SMTOWN 30, produced in celebration of the K-Pop giant’s 30th anniversary, director Yoon Hee Joon of the artist development center revealed a never-before-heard detail about RIIZE Wonbin‘s casting.

Avid K-Pop fans know well the story behind how Wonbin was cast via Instagram DM. The idol himself previously revealed in an MMTG episode that when he received the message, he was just chilling in his bed, so he decided to take a chance and attend the private audition.

But director Yoon shared how bringing him from Ulsan to Seoul was a whole mission for SM Entertainment. Yoon explained that while “the company does not usually send someone to go get the new cast,” she made sure someone was at Seoul Station to snatch Wonbin on the spot.

아시발 원래 에스엠이 연습생을 마중나가지 않는데 원빈은 다른 소속사가 데려갈 수 잇으니가 서울역까지 마중나가라 햇대 ㅅㅂ pic.twitter.com/yBRgDmccmO

— 담 (@dxmyxzth) February 1, 2025

When I first saw a video of Wonbin during a meeting, I learned that he lived in Ulsan. That’s when I told my team, ‘Go wait for him at Seoul Station. You must pick him up and bring him here.’ Usually, we don’t send anyone to pick up the new talent. They are asked to come to the HQ on their own. But I thought anyone from anywhere could try approaching him and stealing him away from us as soon as he landed in Seoul. So, I specifically ordered that he be picked up.

— Yoon Hee Joon

After the program aired, Wonbin took to Weverse and also reminisced about his arrival at Seoul Station. The idol shared that, as soon as he got off the train, an SM Entertainment staff handed him a mask to cover his face and even instructed him to hide his school uniform name tag.

As soon as I arrived at the station, I was handed a mask. I had no idea what was going on. I  still put it on without knowing why, haha. I actually had traveled right after school, so I was wearing my school uniform. I remember when they saw that my uniform had a name tag, they told me to cover it up… LOL. I was like, ‘What’s up with this company?’ I mean, I was just an ordinary student, so I was a little flustered by all of it.

— Wonbin

It might have been strange to Wonbin, but K-Pop fans agreed that SM Entertainment was smart to take such measures. Given Wonbin’s visual, fans commented across online communities, “SM Entertainment is kind of extra, but this one time, it made sense to be that extra.”

• “Yeah, I was kind of shocked when I first saw him because he was just that good-looking.”
• “When he was first revealed, he became unforgettable because he was so handsome.”
• “Wonbin is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen in my life, LOL. He looks like he was sculpted to shine.”
• “Makes sense… I would’ve gone up to him to hand him a business card had I worked for an entertainment company.”
• “Yeah, I get it. Haha.”
• “She did the right thing… He probably would’ve gotten at least five different business cards on his way from Seoul Station to the SM Entertainment building.”

Read more about how the same person from SM Entertainment who discovered Wonbin also cast NCT WISH‘s Sion:

NCT WISH’s Sion Was Cast By SM The Same Way As Another Popular Fifth-Gen Idol