Dayoung (다영), a member of the K-pop girl group WJSN (우주소녀), recently opened up about her challenging upbringing on a television program. She revealed that her parents divorced early in her life, and her biological father left behind billions of Korean won in debt, forcing her to worry about family finances and feel compelled to "grow up quickly" from the tender age of seven. Adding to the heartbreaking story, she even lived alone in a goshiwon (a small, inexpensive room for students) in Seoul during elementary school to participate in auditions.
On May 18, Dayoung appeared on the MBC variety show "Playlist 109," where she recounted her childhood and her journey to becoming a singer.
Born on Jeju Island, Dayoung first attempted an audition program at age 11. She recalled participating in "The Great Birth" but was quickly eliminated. "When I was 11, I went to 'The Great Birth' and was immediately eliminated. The judges told me to 'go home,' so I went home," she said.
Despite the initial setback, she did not give up. At age 12, Dayoung participated in "K-pop Star," an audition program involving major agencies like SM, YG, and JYP. She shared that her mother initially urged her to "give up on being a singer," but later realized her daughter wouldn't truly let go unless she experienced the challenges firsthand. Her mother then supported her participation. "My mom thought I should experience it myself, but I ended up advancing through many rounds," Dayoung explained.
However, the real challenge was managing her daily life. At the time, Dayoung's mother ran a restaurant on Jeju Island and couldn't stay in Seoul for extended periods. Consequently, Dayoung, still an elementary school student, had to rent a goshiwon in Seoul and live alone while attending auditions.
Upon hearing this, fellow guest Lee Jun (이준) expressed surprise, asking, "You were an elementary school student then?" Dayoung admitted that she felt like she was "treating myself like a 40-year-old" at the time.
Her early maturity stemmed from a painful family background. Dayoung revealed, "When I was little, I constantly thought about how I could avoid being a burden to my mother and even help her."
She shared that she grew up in a remarried family, with her current father being her stepfather. Her biological parents divorced when she was very young. Adding to the burden, her biological father left behind massive debts. "My biological father left too much debt, billions of Korean won were under my mother's name at the time," she stated.
She lamented that billions of won would still be an astonishing amount today. "It was truly overwhelming and daunting. I experienced these things at age seven, and in that moment, I felt like I suddenly became an adult."
To make ends meet, Dayoung's mother would leave for work every morning, do other jobs during the day, and continue running her business at night. Young Dayoung, seeing her mother's struggles, naturally began to help. "My mom started leaving every morning at dawn at some point, doing other jobs during the day, and then her business at night. Seeing her live like that in elementary school, I wanted to help her a little."
She even made a promise with her mother to succeed by a certain age to help their family get back on its feet. "I promised my mom that I would succeed by a certain age and support our family. I talked to my mom about it, and she looked at me and finally just said, 'Okay, then do it.'"
Years later, Dayoung finally realized her dream of becoming a singer. However, her path from group member to solo artist was not smooth. Around five years ago, during WJSN's contract renewal, Dayoung expressed her desire to pursue solo activities, but the company responded, "No, do you know how tough the solo market is?"
But she did not give up. Dayoung later secured a three-month vacation, flew directly to Los Angeles, USA, and invested her accumulated earnings into a solo music project. She recalled the situation, saying, "Time was really too short because I only had three months." During her time in Los Angeles, she personally met with production teams, revised her music, and ultimately completed her solo song, "Body."
From worrying about her family at age seven, to living alone in a Seoul goshiwon as an elementary student to chase her dreams, and then flying to Los Angeles and investing her savings into music production despite company opposition, Dayoung's journey to becoming a singer hides a growth story far more challenging than what appears on stage.
