9 K-pop idols who gave up university for showbiz in 2022, from Enhypen’s Jungwon and Ive’s Wonyoung and Liz, to NMixx’s Sullyoon, Bae and former member Jinni, NewJeans’ Minji, and StayC’s Yoon and J

Dec 30 , 2022

(Left to right) Wonyoung, Sullyoon, Bae, J, Yoon, Minji and other K-pop idols gave up university for fame this year ... but was it worth it? Photos: @for_everyoung10, @nmixx_official, @stayc_highup, @newjeans_official/Instagram

Ive’s Wonyoung and Liz, Enhypen’s Jungwon, NMixx’s Sullyoon, Bae and Jinni, StayC’s Yoon and J, and NewJeans’ Minji chose to skip Korea’s CSAT entrance exam to focus on their groups’ activities

However, other K-pop idols like Kep1er’s Youngeun, Huening Bahiyyih, Weeekly’s Jaehee and Bae173’s Dohyon, Doha and Bit all took part

True K-pop fans will know that becoming an idol isn’t all glitz and glam: wannabe stars must spend years on gruelling training, sign contracts with strict rules, and deal with intense scrutiny from the media and netizens alike. And, for younger idols, embarking on the path to fame can mean giving up attending university.

The College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT for short, is a university entrance exam in Korea designed to measure students’ achievements and academic ability according to curriculum standards for university education, according to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation.

For most K-pop idols who started their careers at an early age, the decision to participate in CSAT can be a difficult one. In November, nine young K-pop idols from five different groups were absent from the CSAT, which they were supposed to sit for. So who are they, how did they make their choice … and was it the correct one?

Ive’s Wonyoung and Liz

Ive is a girl group launched by Starship Entertainment in November 2021. Photo: @ivestarship/Instagram

On November 8, Starship Entertainment announced that Wonyoung and Liz in Ive would not participate in this year’s CSAT, according to Yonhap News. They had a long discussion about it, but finally made the decision in order to focus on the group’s current activities instead.

Wonyoung was originally a member of K-pop group Iz*One before joining Ive. Photo: @for_everyoung10/Instagram

Wonyoung took part in survival show Produce 48 when she was only 13 and originally became a member of Iz*One. After this group disbanded due to its contract expiring, she was announced as a member of Starship’s new girl group Ive in November 2021. Whether in Iz*One or Ive, Wonyoung is popular for her attractive appearance and sweet personality.

Liz is the main vocalist of Ive. Photo: @IVE_twt/Twitter

Although Liz does not boast as many fans as her fellow teammate Wonyoung and has been criticised by some netizens before for gaining weight, being in Ive has still given her plenty of publicity. The group has received many first-place awards for its songs “Love Dive” and “After Like” this year.

Enhypen’s Jungwon

Boy band Enhypen attends a red carpet event at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Seoul, in December 2021. Photo: AFP