Viral Clip of TWICE’s Jihyo Raises Concerns about K-Pop’s Treatment of Child Trainees

On December 18, a fan account shared an anecdote originally told by singer Sunmi on X (formerly Twitter). Sunmi described a young Jihyo, quiet and reserved, often freezing up around older trainees but occasionally surprising them with playful hits during teasing moments. The post included a rare video showing TWICE’s Jihyo as a child playfully hitting 2PM’s Taecyeon, highlighting her innocent and cheeky personality.

While the video amused some fans, many were disturbed by how young Jihyo was when she began training. Jihyo joined JYP Entertainment at just 8 years old in 2005 and trained for 10 years before debuting with TWICE. She had even trained at SM Entertainment briefly at the age of 7.

The clip has reignited concerns about the K-Pop industry’s recruitment of child trainees. Fans criticized the harsh environment young trainees endure, with comments like, “This is just extremely scary and saddening,” and “The K-Pop industry needs to be heavily regulated because there’s no reason a 7 year old should be training at this age.” Others questioned the role of parents, “Not only do we know companies are scummy, but what kind of parents would allow this.”

Although debuting young has long been a part of K-Pop, the clip has fueled ongoing discussions about its impact on idols’ mental and physical well-being. Critics are now calling for stricter regulations and better protections for young trainees in the entertainment industry.

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