Lee Hae-in, Debut Derailed Despite 10 Years of Effort... "I Did Many Part-time Jobs to Survive" [Hae-tu][★Night TView]

*This content was translated by AI.

Creative Director Lee Hae-in shared the story of how her debut was derailed despite 10 years of trainee efforts.

In a broadcast on the 21st, KBS 2TV variety program 'Happy Together - It's Good Not to Be Alone' (hereinafter 'Hae-tu') featured Yoo Jae-suk, Jang Hang-jun, and Yoon Jong-shin, with special MC Sung Si-kyung joining the lineup.

On this day, Lee Hae-in appeared alongside Kiss of Life's Natty as part of the 'Indi Band'.

Lee Hae-in introduced them by saying, "We are Indi Band, who want to become icons of challenge and courage," adding, "Currently, I am mainly focused on producing."

Natty stated, "I joined the team together. Nine years ago, my older sister and I participated in an audition program together. While preparing as a team, we eventually found our own paths and are now actively pursuing our careers."

Explaining how they became close, Lee Hae-in said, "We stayed together for about seven months. Without mobile phones, all we could do was talk. We talked every day. Natty was in middle school at the time, and I was 24. It was a natural situation where age didn't matter as we grew closer. After the audition ended, we continued preparing for debut together. When we were trainees, we thought we would debut together. We also lived in shared housing for a long time. Going through many experiences together created a strong bond."

Yoo Jae-suk asked Lee Hae-in, "Didn't you finish first in the final round of the audition program? Wasn't your debut derailed?" referencing controversies over vote manipulation in the audition program.

In response, Lee Hae-in said, "It was something that happened a while ago, but at that time, I couldn't debut due to circumstances beyond my will."

She continued, "At that time, it was really difficult. Those who came from the provinces can relate; there was no room to even feel how hard it was. My hometown is Masan, and just thinking about going back down there made my head spin. I felt I had to do something quickly, but I couldn't remember those hardships."

Sung Si-kyung asked, "How did you decide to switch to becoming a director in the middle?" Lee Hae-in replied, "When I decided to become a director, it wasn't like I said, 'I'll start today.' I had to say something to make a living. I spent about 10 years as a trainee, and my debut was canceled multiple times. I felt change was necessary for me, so I left the company. Once I was out, I discovered many things I didn't know."

She further explained, "It was a situation where I had to do something to survive in Seoul. I worked as a fitting model part-time, did cafe jobs, and even performed in musicals—so much so that the CEO of Kiss of Life suggested I try these kinds of things. Although I hesitated, I started with the mindset of 'let's just give it a try.'"

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*This content was translated by AI.