Having made her solo debut, Red Velvet’s leader Irene guest-starred in the latest episode of comedian Kim Dae Hee’s YouTube talk show. As they share a sumptuous Korean meal, Irene reveals that she bawled her eyes out after failing the final round of SM Entertainment auditions to become an idol trainee.

Despite being introverted, Irene mentions that she always participated in school talents shows due to her love for singing and dancing. While she was initially just a companion to her friend who was joining the audition, she ended up being noted and made it to the final round. It was only after failing the final round that she realized how much she wanted to pursue this dream. Maintaining contact with SM staff, she eventually made it as an SM trainee, and the rest is history.

When she was stressed out during her five-year trainee period, she states that she ‘rebels’ by stopping by the different convenience stores between her dorm and company. After amassing enough snacks, she would feast on them at the dorm to relieve stress. She cheekily adds on that while this goes against the company’s rules as she would gain weight, this was her sole rebellion and escape.

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