From Soccer in Brazil to K-pop Trainee Life
Before he was WOODZ, Cho Seungyoun had goals of a very different kind—soccer goals, to be exact.
Appearing on MBC’s lively talk show Radio Star, Seungyoun shared the surprising path he took toward becoming one of K-pop’s most versatile artists. “When I was a kid, I dreamed of both being a singer and a soccer player. I eventually chose soccer because I loved running around so much,” he recalled.
That passion took him all the way to Brazil for a soccer exchange program right after elementary school. But once there, he realized the pitch wasn’t quite his calling. “It turned out I wasn’t very good at it,” he admitted with a laugh. Fueled by his lingering dream of becoming an artist, Seungyoun convinced his family to let him return to Korea and enrolled in a soccer academy run by the father of football legend Son Heungmin—yes, that Son Heungmin.
50 Rejections, and a ‘What If’ with SEVENTEEN
Back in Korea, Seungyoun turned his focus to auditioning. And audition he did—over 50 times. “It started with an open audition at SM Entertainment,” he said. “I just applied everywhere I could. I lost count after 40 or 50 rejections.”
Eventually, his persistence paid off. He made it into a company that once housed T-ARA and Davichi. Then came more auditions—at Pledis, and YG Entertainment. “I got into both, but chose YG in the end,” he revealed, adding a major K-pop what-if: “If I’d gone with Pledis, I might’ve debuted with the SEVENTEEN guys.” Can you imagine SEUNGYOUN hip-thrusting alongside Hoshi?
A Chinese Restaurant, a K-Drama Moment, and Park Jinyoung
In a full-circle twist worthy of a K-drama subplot, WOODZ shared a fun behind-the-scenes story involving JYP founder Park Jinyoung. Years ago, Seungyoun’s mother ran a Chinese restaurant next to JYP’s old building. “Celebs would drop by all the time for after-parties. One day, I got a photo with Park Jinyoung. Little did I know how much that moment would mean later on,” he said, showing the old snapshot during the broadcast.
The story even made veteran host Kim Gura flinch: the restaurant memory tied back to a show Gura claimed he’d rather forget from his filmography. “Let’s… not talk about that,” Gura quipped, half-smiling.
WOODZ’s Journey is a Fanfic that Wrote Itself
From football pitches in Brazil to almost sharing a debut stage with SEVENTEEN, WOODZ’s career story is proof that persistence—and a dash of fate—can land you exactly where you’re meant to be.
“It wasn’t the easy path,” Seungyoun said, “but it was mine.”
Now a soloist known for his genre-bending style, WOODZ is living proof that every ‘no’ can lead to the ultimate ‘yes’.
