The Shocking Truth About BTS's Original Lineup

In 2013, the popular K-pop group BTS made their debut, but few fans know that the original lineup actually had swapped two members. Before Big Hit Entertainment decided to expel one of them, BTS had a very different configuration. To this day, the true story behind this major change in the group's lineup remains a mystery. We will take a look at the shocking truth about BTS's original lineup.

BTS originally called "Bangtan" was formed in 2010 as a seven-member hip-hop group, with RM, J-Hope, Suga, V, Jungkook, Jimin, and Kim Ji Hun before the recruitment of Jin. Kim Ji Hun had trained with BigHit for two years before his departure. He had trained in song and dance. before the group officially debuted, BigHit decided to remove Kim Ji Hun from the lineup. He says the reason was that he wasn't good enough. Kim Ji Hun has advanced independently since being taken off the lineup, doing side jobs, serving in the military, earning a psychology degree from college, and more. He presently works in a local government office as a public worker while also dabbling in YouTube video creation from his home in Wonju.

The original lineup of BTS was determined by BigHit Entertainment's CEO, Bang Si-Hyuk, who personally recruited and selected each member. The process of finding the perfect members for the group took two full years and involved recruiting from all over South Korea.

BigHit began their search by sending out talent scouts to provincial cities to find potential members. At the time, K-pop recruiters typically only looked for trainees in major metropolitan areas like Seoul. However, BigHit wanted to find a mix of members with different backgrounds, experiences, and talents.

Kim Ji-Hun was recruited from Wonju, a city in Gangwon Province. Kim had been dancing since he was three years old, so he passed his audition on his first try and joined BigHit in July 2011.

By June 2013, the eight members that made up BTS had finally been selected. However, one of these members was eventually expelled before the group officially debuted in 2013. Despite the setback, the remaining seven members went on to become one of the most successful K-pop acts in history.

Kim's Vice interview and YouTube videos provide an insight into his life as a K-pop trainee. Kim lived in a shared dorm with the other BTS members and rehearsed with them regularly. He described the members as being like his "second family" and a good friend in one of his own videos. Kim had fond memories of his time as a BTS trainee, citing that it was one of the happiest periods of his life.

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Changing or losing members before the official debut is a very common situation in the K-pop industry. What do you think? Let us know @KpopWise.