BTS V: The Photo That Changed Everything – Serendipitous Trainee Casting

The miraculous story of how V of BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) was discovered and selected as a trainee has been revealed.

Japanese media outlet Oricon News interviewed Kim Mi-jeong, a producer in charge of casting at Big Hit Music (HYBE), about the process of discovering and recruiting V.

Producer Kim Mi-jeong described discovering V as a “miraculous encounter” in the interview, stating that she had a feeling of “Ah, this is the one” the moment she first saw him. She said, “I’ve seen so many trainees, but V was the one who gave me goosebumps the moment I met him.” She added that V was the most impressive of all the applicants.

Producer Kim explained that she had been searching in Daegu for a week during her early days, but couldn’t find a suitable person. Tired, she accidentally found an old academy and put her last hope in it. At the academy, she was told, “There are many older people here, and no young people.” However, she didn’t give up and asked the academy staff, “I’d like to see even just the event photos.” When she checked the photos, “there was only one photo that stood out, and that was V,” she recalled.

Producer Kim explained, “There are many conditions for being able to audition, but V was not dancing, he was just smiling in a photo.” She revealed that she gave V an audition opportunity based on just one photo. She also said, “The moment V actually walked in, I thought, ‘Ah, this is the one,'” and described V as “a very kind child. A child with a warm personality from the heart.”

According to reports, Producer Kim Mi-jeong, who discovered the members of BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, is an expert who has been involved in discovering, nurturing, marketing, creating, and designing worldviews for K-pop rookies for 16 years. HYBE utilized V’s charm as the final impact, announcing the completion of the BTS team.

Immediately after his debut, V drew attention for his orange hair in BTS-related searches and contributed to the group’s popularity. In a July 2015 interview with KBS WORLD, when the host asked which member was the most popular, leader RM replied that V was very popular worldwide. V has since established himself as a global superstar and, in his 13th year since debut, is growing into an icon beyond K-pop.