Starship Entertainment’s Vice President Explains Why Each IVE Member Was Selected To Debut
Starship Entertainment‘s vice president, Seo Hyun Joo, recently gave fans more insight into the creation of the top 4th-gen girl group IVE with an in-depth interview.
Seo Hyun Joo opened up to the Korean media outlet JoongAng Ilbo and shared what sets the group apart from other 4th-gen groups, why she initially had doubts about their debut, and the reason all six members were chosen to debut.
1. Yujin
Seo Hyun Joo personally selected leader Yujin after she saw her audition tape. “When we saw that audition video, we thought to ourselves, ‘We have to bring her in no matter what.’”
Yujin became a Starship Entertainment trainee in 2017 and participated in Produce 48 in 2018, earning the opportunity to debut with IZ*ONE.
Seo Hyun Joo sees Yujin as a true “all-rounder” with the ability to “firmly support” the group, which is why she was chosen as IVE’s leader.
2. Gaeul
Gaeul, IVE’s oldest member, became a Starship Entertainment trainee in 2017 and was also cast by JYP Entertainment. Gaeul earned praise from friends for her dancing and became the group’s main dancer.
Seo Hyun Joo praised Gaeul’s work ethic, sharing that she was chosen because she’s been working hard ever since she was a trainee.
3. Rei
IVE’s Rei auditioned in Japan and moved to Korea when she was 15 years old. She knew very little Korean as a trainee but worked hard and improved so much that her fellow members hilariously nicknamed her “Kim Rei.”
Although Rei is the talented main rapper of the group, Seo Hyun Joo shared that Rei’s “lovely singing voice” and impressive command of Korean contributed to the decision to add her to the group.
4. Wonyoung
Like Yujin, IVE’s Wonyoung also made her first debut in IZ*ONE after successfully competing on the K-Pop survival program Produce 48 and ranking in first place.
Wonyoung is known for her sweet vocals, model-like proportions, and princess-like visuals. Seo Hyun Joo shared,
I was attracted to Wonyoung’s sparkling star-quality character and her constant effort to maintain that quality.
— Seo Hyun Joo, Starship Entertainment vice president
5. Liz
IVE’s Liz became a Starship Entertainment trainee in 2019 after being cast while auditioning for a spot in a Pepsi ad. Liz is a main vocalist in IVE and has charmed DIVEs with her multiple talents and gorgeous visuals.
Seo Hyun Joo stated that Liz’s “attractive, clear voice” caught the attention of the company and led to her debut.
6. Leeseo
IVE’s maknae Leeseo was a first-generation SM Entertainment‘s Kids Model. Leeseo became a vocalist and visual member of IVE, and impressively for her young age, she earned attention from the company for her dedication.
Leeseo’s seriousness and passion were what caught our eyes.
— Seo Hyun Joo
Seo Hyun Joo also named the strengths IVE has compared to other successful 4th-gen K-Pop girl groups. Check out more about those qualities in the article below!
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