Japan’s Oricon News interviewed producer Kim Mi Jeong, who was in charge of casting at BigHit Music, about the process that led to V’s discovery.
According to the report, producer Kim Mi Jeong—who also helped discover members of BTS and TOMORROW X TOGETHER—is a veteran expert who has spent 16 years working in K-pop talent discovery, development, marketing, creative direction, and world-building.
In the interview, Kim Mi Jeong described finding V as a “miraculous meeting,” saying that the moment she first saw him, she immediately felt, “Ah, it’s this kid.” She added that although she had seen countless trainees, V was the only one who gave her goosebumps the instant she encountered him. Among the many applicants she reviewed, V left the strongest impression.
Kim recalled that when she was still new to the job, she had been traveling around regional areas searching for talent. During a week-long scouting trip in Daegu, she failed to find anyone suitable. Exhausted, she happened to enter an old academy she noticed by chance, hoping it might be her last opportunity. At the academy, she was told, “There are older people here, but no young trainees.”
However, she refused to give up and asked a staff member if she could at least see photos from past events. While looking through them, one photo immediately stood out—it was V.
Kim explained that trainees are usually evaluated based on several criteria during auditions, yet the photo she saw of V wasn’t even of him dancing. It was simply a picture of him smiling. Nevertheless, that single photo was enough for her to offer him an audition opportunity.
She added that the moment V walked in for the audition, she instantly thought, “Ah, it’s him.” When I called to tell him he had passed, he said, “This isn’t a scam, right?” (laughs). Kim described V as “a truly kind kid” with “a warm and sincere personality from the heart.”
HYBE ultimately used V’s unique charm as the final impactful element when completing the lineup of BTS. Shortly after his debut, V attracted attention with his orange hair and quickly became a trending related search for BTS, contributing to the group’s rising popularity.
In a July 2015 interview with KBS WORLD, when the host asked which member was the most popular, leader RM replied that V was especially popular worldwide.
Since then, V has grown into a global superstar. Now in the 13th year since his debut, he continues to expand his influence beyond K-pop, establishing himself as a true icon.
