Meet The Rookie Boy Group Idol Who Was Almost A Member Of NCT, TXT, Stray Kids & TREASURE

This year’s rookie groups are full of so much talent, there’s no doubt they’ll go on to become stars. In particular, one member of upcoming boy group BAE173 has such star potential, he was originally cast by all of the biggest agencies in South Korea!

BAE173 is a 9-member boy group set to debut under PocketDol Studio on November 19 with their first song, “Crush on U”. BAE173 members Hangyul and Dohyon are already well-known from their time on Produce X 101, where both members scored spots in the temporary group X1. But, there’s also another notable member to keep an eye out for…

Aged 16, Doha is a rapper and vocalist in the PocketDol Studio’s new boy group. However, his agency (which is a subsidiary of DIA and 1the9‘s company, MBK Entertainment) isn’t the only onethat tried to snap him up.

Doha began his career as a successful child actor under his birth name, Na Gyumin. He began appearing in television commercials at the age of just four years old, and has since acted for major brands like Samsung, Pizza Hut, and Hyundai.

Alongside his advertising career (which include modeling and magazine shoots too), Doha soon progressed to dramas and movies. Some of his most notable works include tvN‘s popular series Reply 1994 and SBS‘s To the Beautiful You, where he played a young version of SHINee‘s Minho.

A born performer and cute to boot, it’s no surprise that numerous K-Pop agencies had their eye on Doha since he was a child. In fact, by the age of just 8 years old, he was approached by not one, not two, but 10 agencies. What’s even more impressive is that the list of agencies who tried to cast Doha included SM Entertainment and Big Hit Entertainment.

Big Hit Entertainment’s TXT | *Big Hit Entertainment*

And it doesn’t stop there—Doha also passed auditions for YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment in his youth.

JYP Entertainment’s Stray Kids | *JYP Entertainment*

While there’s no guarantee he would’ve made it to debut under these companies, it’s entirely possible he could’ve been part of NCT, TXT, Stray Kids or TREASURE if he’d decided to sign with them.

SM Entertainment’s NCT | *SM Entertainment*

Some of the other agencies that reportedly approached Doha through social media or on the streets included Woollim Entertainment, Brand New Music, Source Music, Starship Entertainment, and Pledis Entertainment. However, Doha ultimately decided that the agencies weren’t for him—lucky for BAE173 fans!

Just in case that doesn’t impress you enough, Doha is known to be just as clever as he is talented. From his sixth year of elementary school to his second year of middle school, the Daegu-born starlet attended a gifted education program at Kyungpook National University. Later, he was voted vice president of his school!