Choo Young Woo recently shared that he once received an offer to become an idol from JYP Entertainment, one of South Korea’s top entertainment agencies.
In a candid interview on the YouTube series Salon Drip 2 that aired on Tuesday, Choo Young Woo sat down with host Jang Do Yeon to discuss his unexpected journey into entertainment.
When Jang Do Yeon asked if he had ever been approached with offers to join the entertainment industry, Choo Young Woo revealed that during his high school years, several major idol agencies had shown interest in him. “I think I received offers from all the big agencies,” he said. “I definitely remember one from JYP Entertainment, but I’m not sure if the other was SM or YG.” This revelation caught many viewers off guard.
Choo Young Woo explained why he turned down these potentially life-changing opportunities, saying, “It felt like a completely different world to me. Since I’m from Chungcheong, not Seoul, I couldn’t even imagine pursuing that kind of career.” He also shared the unexpected places where he was scouted: “Once, it was at Daejeon Station, and another time when I was just visiting Seoul. I guess I was quite the looker back then,” he joked with a smile.
Jang Do Yeon also pointed out that Choo Young Woo’s impressive family background might explain his success. “It looks like talent runs in the family,” she remarked. Choo Young Woo’s father, Choo Seung Il, is a former model, and his mother, Kang Seong Jin, also had a career in modeling. His younger brother, Cha Jung Woo (real name: Choo Jung Woo), is following in their footsteps as a model and actor.
When asked if his family ever critiques his acting, Choo Young Woo admitted, “If my family’s watching, I can watch with them. I don’t feel uncomfortable seeing my performances, even if they’re from the past or not my best work.”
Jang Do Yeon was curious about Choo Young Woo’s childhood, especially with model parents. “Did you get a lot of attention when you went out as a family?” she asked. Choo Young Woo candidly responded, “When I was little and held my dad’s hand in public, he would get so much attention. I found it a bit embarrassing back then.”
Born in 1999, Choo Young Woo made his acting debut in 2021 with the web drama You Make Me Dance. Since then, he has quickly risen to fame with leading roles in hit dramas like The Tale of Lady Ok and The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, cementing his place as one of South Korea’s most promising young actors.
