Kim Jihoon and Hwang Jihwan are two former trainees of BIGHIT MUSIC who trained closely with the BTS members before their debut. In a recent interview with Korea Now, the duo talked about their past life in detail, including about the real-life personalities of BTS.
The BTS members are known for their funny and chaotic personalities, which are also accompanied by kind and considerate temperaments. But often, there are questions about the authenticity of their on-screen personas.
Kim Jihoon and Hwang Jihwan are both ’94-liners, making them the same age as RM and J-Hope. While Kim was a trainee at BIGHIT for a year, Hwang spent nearly two years in the agency. During their time at BIGHIT, both were close with the current BTS members.
When the interviewer asked them how BTS are different now than from their trainee era, Kim answered that from their on-screen shenanigans, it looks like the members are still the same, only “less crazy.”
He then shared some fun anecdotes from their younger says, when the trainees would order chicken and be on the lookout to grab one more piece faster than the others. But they still honored the hierarchy and always kept the legs for older trainees, while the younger ones would settle for chicken breast.
Hwang recalled that Suga was always the less talkative one and would teach him a lot about music.
RM was always the wise kind, according to Hwang. The two spent a lot of time talking, which left Hwang with the impression that he was a mature person.
Hwang also talked about V and Jungkook, who he fondly described as “cute” young students, often bickering over small things.
Kim said that while he was the same age as J-Hope and RM, his dynamic with them was pretty different. While J-Hope was more like a next-door friend, RM always had a leader-like quality to him.
Both the former BIGHIT trainees confirmed that the way fans perceive the BTS members now is exactly how they were in real life as trainees, but with time and age, they have probably gotten a bit more grounded than before.
You can watch the interview below:
