Tiffany, a member of Girls’ Generation, recently disclosed that she nearly missed out on debuting with the renowned girl group, but her path was altered unexpectedly with the intervention of a prominent figure in the industry.
Appearing on MBC’s “Radio Star” on May 15, 2024, Tiffany discussed her flourishing acting career, her experiences with SM Entertainment, and her life as an idol. During the show, she disclosed a significant moment from her early days with Girls’ Generation.
Initially, the group’s line-up featured 12 trainees. This line-up underwent several revisions before finalizing the nine members who eventually debuted: Sunny, Yuri, Sooyoung, Seohyun, Taeyeon, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Jessica, and Tiffany.
Among these trainees, Tiffany had one of the shortest training periods. As the debut approached, a staff member warned her that she might not make the final cut and asked if she was prepared to return home.
The turning point came when SM Entertainment’s founder, Lee Soo Man, intervened. He insisted that Tiffany must debut with the group because her smile on camera was a significant asset. According to Lee Soo Man, her smile radiated positive energy and was important to the group’s appeal.
Tiffany reminisced about how fans became enamored with Girls’ Generation after seeing her smile in their debut music video, “Into the New World.”
Girls’ Generation has continued to make waves in the industry. In May 2022, SM Entertainment announced their return as a full group to celebrate their fifteenth anniversary, ending a five-year hiatus. They kicked off their anniversary with the reality series “Soshi TamTam” on JTBC in July.
In August, they released their seventh Korean studio album, “Forever 1,” which soared to the second spot on the Circle Chart. The group was also seen performing at the SM Town Live 2022 concert, which was held at a sold-out event, “Long Lasting Love,” in September 2022.
