My Sisters Idol Trainee Friends |work| May 2026

We all know the glamorous side of K-pop (or J-pop/CPop). The music shows, the fan chants, the flawless Instagram posts. But what happens before the debut stage? For the past two years, I’ve had a backstage pass to a world most fans only dream of—not through a documentary, but through my little sister’s friendship circle.

I walked into my sister’s room last week to find three future "it-girls" doing face masks, arguing about which member of a boy group is the ugliest (they were all lying), and trying to microwave ramen in a coffee pot because they broke the stove.

Because my sister is not a trainee, she is their escape hatch to reality. They love her because she doesn't care if their high kick is 5 degrees off. my sisters idol trainee friends

You see, my sister isn't a trainee herself. But somehow, she became best friends with a group of girls who are currently grinding away in one of Seoul’s mid-tier entertainment agencies. I’ve gone from being a casual listener to an unofficial “big sister mentor” for three girls who wake up at 5 AM to dance until their knees give out.

I’ve seen my sister hold one friend while she sobbed because she forgot a turn during a cover of a NewJeans song. I’ve also seen them jump up and down screaming because a producer complimented their high note. We all know the glamorous side of K-pop (or J-pop/CPop)

But here’s the sweet part: When they come to my sister’s dorm on their one day off a month? They demolish fried chicken and tteokbokki. The "idol diet" is a costume they wear for the agency; the real girls just want pizza. Being a trainee friend means being a therapist without a license.

To Yuna, Soojin, and Haeun— fighting! And stop stealing my sister's hoodies. Do you have a friend in the trainee system? Or are you dreaming of becoming one? Drop your questions below—I’ll ask the girls for their honest answers. For the past two years, I’ve had a

Because they are trainees (not debuted idols), the pressure is different. They aren't starving; they are miserably efficient . One friend, Soojin, showed me her "fuel" for the day: a protein shake, three pieces of grilled chicken breast, and a single sweet potato. She eats this every day to keep her "visual line" for the monthly evaluations.