‘Suga’s smile stood out, but I was drawn to Jungkook by fate’: Casting director reveals how no one noticed BTS at first, members casting stories

Also read: ‘BTS told us no need to be perfect, but don’t take..’: CORTIS on feeling pressured as BTS’ juniors, recalls meeting members at J-Hope’s concert

Unlike the usual system of auditions, Noh had to move quickly since several agencies were waiting to sign him. She handed Jungkook her card on the spot, called his father, and requested them to sign immediately. “Usually, companies set an audition date. But I told his father, ‘Let’s sign right away—he has potential.’ Other agencies were chasing him, some even waiting at Seoul Station, but in the end, his father chose BigHit,” she said. Looking back, Noh said it felt like being under a spell, he just couldn’t let him go. To this day, she finds it surreal that Jungkook entered BTS without an audition.

Elsewhere in the interview, she opened up about BTS’ early days.  “Back then, no one was paying attention to them, but I believed they would succeed. They practiced until their shoes wore out. That’s why I was certain they’d make it.” Now, even though BTS are global superstars, she says, when she meets them, they still feel like the same kids she knew from trainee days. “ Despite being world stars, when we talk and laugh, I sometimes forget how famous they really are,” she gushed.

Also read: I’m an old-school BTS ARMY, and these 10 pre-western tracks show why they became global icons

Jungkook was just 15 when he joined BigHit as a trainee. He was officially announced as a BTS member in 2013, just days before his 16th birthday. In 2021, the singer opened up about those early days, arriving as the youngest in the group, scared, and missing his parents. On the show You Quiz on the Block, the Seven crooner admitted he had second thoughts when his vocals were constantly compared to other members. “I was the youngest. I had to wait for the others to fall asleep before I could shower. I used the top bunk and had to be careful not to make noise. I think all the hardships and scoldings I went through made me who I am today. That’s why I’m grateful to the other members,” Jungkook said. He even questioned if he was really cut out to be the main vocalist, until he decided to stop treating vocal practice as a schedule and instead practised everywhere, anytime. In the end, he was thankful to have members who cared for him like their own younger brother.