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Jeff Benjamin

A cornerstone of the K-pop industry is its training, a process that can be tough and lengthy for many young hopefuls.
And for Seulgi – who would eventually become a superstar as a member of girl group Red Velvet – her seven years of training were often filled with moments of self-doubt.
However, those tough times taught her valuable lessons which have inspired her musical career.
Get to know Seulgi’s inspiring story so far.

Her early life
Kang Seul-gi was born in Ansan, in South Korea’s most populous province, Gyeonggi, on February 10, 1994. Growing up with her parents and an older brother, a young Seulgi discovered that she loved singing and dancing along to songs.
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The future star auditioned for famed K-pop company SM Entertainment while in sixth grade and officially started training during her first year of middle school.
She trained for seven years before making her official K-pop debut. She went from enjoying her time to eventually hitting a slump where she questioned the K-pop life.
Seulgi trained alongside members of boy band Exo, all of whom debuted years before her – and she later admitted that this made their friendships “awkward”.


In 2013, the public got to know Seulgi after she was introduced in the company’s “SM Rookies” project that showcased several trainees before their debuts. In 2014, she was the female co-star in the music video for Fantastic, the title track from SM label mate Henry Lau’s EP. Seulgi also featured on the song Butterfly from the same EP.
Her role in Red Velvet
In the girl group Seulgi is the main dancer as well as a lead vocalist.
While she was originally accepted into SM for her singing talents, one particularly rough period during her trainee years left her unable to sing in front of anyone. Instead of giving up, Seulgi focused her training more on dancing – and this became one of her greatest strengths.

She has since become so well known for her dancing that she has teamed up with other dance legends at SM Entertainment, including Hyoyeon of Girls’ Generation and Shinee’s Taemin.
Her image
Seulgi is considered one of K-pop’s most consistent performers. Reporters and fellow singers have all noted that Seulgi does not seem to changed much since Red Velvet’s earliest days – showing that her skills were always top-notch.


Bandmates describe Seulgi as calm and nonchalant. When discussing her image in a 2019 interview with Esquire Korea, Seulgi also described herself this way. She said she was wary of succumbing to her emotions and instead focuses on the task at hand while thinking and speaking positively.
Her solo work
All the members of Red Velvet have done solo work, but Seulgi’s might be the most varied.
Musically, she has collaborated with a range of different artists, including Super Junior’s Yesung, R&B superstar Zion. T, and Mamamoo’s Moonbyul, to name but a few. One of Seulgi’s most epic collaborations came when she was part of a four-member girl group collaboration with GFriend’s SinB, (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon and solo star Chungha for the track Wow Thing.


Seulgi has also tried her hand at acting. She was a cast member of the TV programme Idol Drama Operation Team that saw her, once again, join a slew of K-pop idols to create a group called Girls Next Door.
She also played the lead role in SM Entertainment’s “hologram musical” School OZ that features several other stars from her label.
Seulgi has also made her mark as a cast member on several popular reality shows, such as I’m Going to School, where celebrities go back to their student days. In Secret Sister she got to know a senior K-pop idol, and while in Law of the Jungle she got to show off her survival skills in the wild.

In her own words
Seulgi has been candid about the tough times she went through during her training and how these still sometimes affect her today.
“The first time [I hit rock bottom] was when I was a trainee and after that I could get through most things,” she told Esquire Korea. “Even after my debut, it’s the same. Sometimes I worry and think, ‘Am I doing well right now? Should I do more?’”
Seulgi has also talked about how she constantly reined in her creative spirit to do what she thought the public wanted, but now, five years into her career, wants to experiment.
“No one told me I could step out [of the box],” Seulgi reflected on Secret Sister. “Now I’m working towards opening the door and stepping out myself. Even if I’m clumsy, I want to try things.”
No doubt the next five years of her career will show her moving forward just as successfully – and with even more confidence.


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Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Music


For Seulgi, her seven years of training included moments of self-doubt, and even after making her K-pop debut her career hit a slump
But tough times taught her valuable lessons and now she has the confidence to experiment and take risks, without worrying what others think



Before becoming a superstar with girl band Red Velvet, Seulgi endured seven years of training that included moments of self-doubt, but the tough times taught her valuable lessons and gave her confidence in the end.


Fame and celebrity

Red Velvet

South Korean celebrities

Seulgi from Red Velvet: singer-dancer’s struggles as a trainee helped her find the strength to go on

For Seulgi, her seven years of training included moments of self-doubt, and even after making her K-pop debut her career hit a slump But tough times taught her valuable lessons and now she has the confidence to experiment and take risks, without worrying what others think

For Seulgi, her seven years of training included moments of self-doubt, and even after making her K-pop debut her career hit a slump

But tough times taught her valuable lessons and now she has the confidence to experiment and take risks, without worrying what others think