A casting director’s unexpected discovery of a smiling photo in a small academy in Daegu has resurfaced online, revealing the unlikely moment that helped launch the career of BTS’ V. The story of how the global K-pop star was first spotted is now drawing renewed attention from fans.
Japanese outlet Oricon News recently published an interview with Kim Mi-jung, a former casting director at BigHit Music who helped recruit members of BTS and Tomorrow X Together.
Kim said among the many trainees she encountered during her years scouting talent, the moment she first saw V stood out the most.
“I’ve seen many trainees, but V was the only one who gave me chills the moment I encountered him,” she said.
At the time, Kim had just begun working as a casting manager and was traveling across regional cities in search of new talent. She recalled spending an entire week scouting in the southern city of Daegu during a sweltering summer without finding anyone promising.
“I had been searching all week in Daegu, but I couldn’t discover anyone,” she said. “I was exhausted and sitting down when I looked up and saw an old academy building. I thought, ‘This is my last hope,’ and went inside.”
Kim Mi-jung, former casting director at BigHit Music / Courtesy of Kim
But the staff at the academy initially told her there were no young students there.
Kim said she then asked if she could at least see photos from past events. As she flipped through the pictures, one photo suddenly caught her attention.
“It wasn’t even a photo of him dancing,” she said. “He was just smiling brightly. But the moment I saw that photo, I had a feeling.”
Source: Korea Times News
