Life is difficult for the K-Pop trainee. Grueling training hours, very little free time, and barely being able to make rent are all rampant issues that they have to undergo while in the pre-debut phase of their career. If a trainee's lucky, they'll get placed into a new boy or girl group, but some aspiring idols take matters into their own hands. From social media accounts to underground performances, these budding performers gained recognition prior to their official debut dates by giving the public their all. We recently did 19 K-pop Stars who were famous before their official debut, here are 6 more K-Pop stars that were well-known prior to their official debut:

6. IZ*ONE Yujin

A relatively well-known CF actress, Yujin, who starred in many commercials for contact lenses eventually moved from ads to music videos! After making cameos in various MVs, she eventually debuted as a soon-to-be idol on 'Produce 48.' 

5. Teen Top Ricky

Ricky was a familiar face in households as he was a child actor! Ricky also appeared in a number of various CFs throughout his pre-debut phase of life. The most prominent highlight of his pre-debut is his cameo in Seo Taiji's "Human Dream" music video.

4. Seventeen Vernon

Vernon of Seventeen was a child actor, a singer, and a model! He garnered attention at a very young age for having great aesthetic features. Later on, Vernon even went on 'Show Me the Money,' which started driving attention to him in masses.

3. MONSTA X Wonho

Wonho, prior to joining MONSTA X, was extremely well known for... you guessed it- his looks! Wonho is devilishly handsome and was considered a king ulzzang. Wonho even was on a show called "Ulzzang Shidae" because of his amazing looks! Fast forward to now, we know Wonho for all his other talents showcased with MONSTA X. 

2. Fiestar Cao Lu

Under the moniker "LuLu," Cao Lu of Fiestar was an established recording artist in China with a fully released album. She got her idol practice in before officially debuting in South Korea with Fiestar. LuLu embodied early 2000s C-Pop sound.

1. EXO Chanyeol

Chanyeol may not have been known for his performance abilities, but his acting abilities were what put him on the map prior to EXO. From appearances on KBS2 special dramas to cameos in music videos like Japanese version of "Genie" or TVXQ's "HaHaHa," Chanyeol was gracing screens long before we realized.