SEVENTEEN member Jeonghan (정한) recently appeared on a Japanese television program, where he openly discussed his life as a trainee. He revealed undergoing numerous high-intensity training sessions, including one where a vocal coach stood directly on his stomach to help him practice lung capacity. This surprising revelation immediately sparked heated discussion among fans, with many criticizing the company's training methods as excessive.
During the program, Jeonghan recounted his trainee days, admitting to a unique breathing exercise. He explained, "I once did a training where I had to lie down and hold my breath for as long as possible, and the vocal coach would stand directly on my stomach to make sure I couldn't release that breath." This anecdote astonished the show's guests and left many fans in disbelief.
Beyond the intense training, Jeonghan also lightheartedly shared how he used to sneakily avoid returning to the practice room too quickly. He revealed that while the subway ride from vocal lessons back to the company typically took about an hour, he would deliberately take a bus, choosing a longer route that stretched his commute to two hours. Jeonghan chuckled, "Because I didn't want to go back so fast, I intentionally took a long bus ride around."
He also confessed to making excuses to sneak out for food. He recalled, "One time I really wanted to eat, so I told everyone I was going to the restroom, but I secretly ran out to buy a burger or something, ate it, and then came back."
After the video was released, many fans expressed sympathy for Jeonghan's bittersweet memories but also directed their anger at the company, deeming the trainee system overly harsh.
Many netizens commented, "This is truly a hellish trainee life; they're fighting for their dreams every day," "A teacher standing on his stomach? That's too outrageous," "If what he's saying publicly is this extreme, how much more did he go through privately?" and "This is truly infuriating." Jeonghan's revelations have once again ignited public discussion about the Korean idol trainee system.
In other news, Jeonghan officially completed his alternative military service as a social service agent on June 25, having served approximately 1 year and 9 months. He is the first SEVENTEEN member to complete his mandatory service. Last month, Korean media reported that Jeonghan and Joshua (조슈아) are actively preparing for a new SEVENTEEN sub-unit, expected to debut in October this year. This will mark the group's seventh sub-unit and Jeonghan's second sub-unit activity, following his previous collaboration with Wonwoo (원우). Both members are widely recognized as the group's "visuals," and news of this "god-tier visual combination" has sent fan anticipation soaring.
