History

So Nyuh Shi Dae – In early stages (The Begining)

Before becoming a true fans of Girl’s Generation, we should look back into the history of making a girls group called Girls Generation or in korean they were called “So Nyuh Shi Dae”. After successful in releasing large scale of 13 members of boy band name Super Junior, SM Entertainment came up with a project with a girls band with probably 11 members in the group. I think today would be a nice time to look back at how SM Entertainment came up with the final line up of nine girls.

SM GROUP PROJECT SHOWCASE 1.

Members: Lee Yeon-hee, Hwang Bo-ra, Bae Seok-bin, Zhang Liyin, Jessica Jung, Kim Hyo-yeon, Kwon Yu-ri, Choi Soo-young, Im Yoon-a, Seo Ju-hyun, Kim Ye-jin

Leader: Lee Yeon-hee (1988) | Maknae: Kim Ye-jin (1993)

First Showcase.

/L-R/ Juhyun, Yuri, Bora, Seokbin (?), Yejin (?), Sooyoung, Liyin, Hyoyeon, Jessica

However, this project group’s line-up didn’t last long. The line-up went through its first major revision. Out of 11 girls, only 6 of them stay in the group.

IN: Seo Hyun-jin, Park So-yeon, Stella Kim, Jang Ha-jin, Lee Hwan-hee

OUT: Lee Yeon-hee, Hwang Bo-ra, Bae Seok-bin, Zhang Liyin, Kim Ye-jin

The six girls who stay in the group are Jessica Jung, Kim Hyoyeon, Kwon Yuri, Choi Sooyoung, Im Yoona, and Seo Juhyun.

SM GIRL GROUP REVISION 1.

Members: Seo Hyun-jin, Park So-yeon, Jessica Jung, Kim Hyo-yeon, Kwon Yu-ri, Choi Soo-young, Stella Kim, Im Yoon-a, Jang Ha-jin, Seo Ju-hyun, Lee Hwan-hee

Leader: Seo Hyun-jin (1985) | Maknae: Kim Ye-jin (1991)

There was five new addition to the group;

Seo Hyunjin, Park Soyeon, Stella Kim, Jang Hajin, Lee Hwanhee.

Due to various reasons, SM decided to replaced the oldest (Seo Hyunjin) and the youngest (Lee Hwanhee) members with two relatively new trainees, Kim Taeyeon and Korean-American Stephanie Hwang. At that time, both Taeyeon and Stephanie Tiffany had ‘only’ trained for about two years.

IN: Kim Tae-yeon, Stephanie Hwang

OUT: Seo Hyun-jin, Lee Hwan-hee

SM GIRL GROUP – REVISION 2

Members: Park So-yeon, Kim Tae-yeon, Jessica Jung, Stephanie Hwang, Kim Hyo-yeon, Kwon Yu-ri, Choi Soo-young, Stella Kim, Im Yoon-a, Jang Ha-jin, Seo Ju-hyun

Leader: Park So-yeon (1987) | Maknae: Seo Ju-hyun (1991)

This line-up is probably the most well-known line-up for the so-called female counterpart of Super Junior. At this point, netizens started calling this project group as Super Girls. In fact, SM Entertainment initially planned to debut this 11-member girl group. They even already took group picture of them.

The roster’s line-up had Soyeon as leader (as she’s the oldest among the eleven girls) and Juhyun as the maknae (the youngest). The main vocalists were Soyeon, Taeyeon, Jessica, Stephanie, Stella, and Juhyun. The main dancers were Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, and Yoona. While the ‘visual line’ of the group were Jessica, Stella, Yoona, and Hajin.

Despite the plan to debut this project group, SM decided to add more people to the line-up. In the other hand, Stella Kim and Jang Ha-jin ended-up being cut from the group. There was a rumor that it was because of their lack of dancing skills. As for Stella, some also said that her parents refused to let her debut before she get a degree. I think the later is more plausible as Stella Kim is supposedly one of most prominent and famous SM trainee, along with Jessica, Yoona, and Hyoyeon.

IN: Lee Soon-Kyu, Lee Hwan-hee, Heo Chan-mi

OUT: Stella Kim, Jang Ha-jin

SM GIRLS GROUP – REVISION 3

Members: Park So-yeon, Kim Tae-yeon, Jessica Jung, Lee Soon-kyu, Stephanie Hwang, Kim Hyo-yeon, Kwon Yu-ri, Choi Soo-young, Im Yoon-a, Seo Ju-hyun, Lee Hwan-hee, Heo Chan-mi

Leader: Park So-yeon (1987) | Maknae: Heo Chan-mi (1992)

The third roster revision had Lee Soonkyu, Lee Hwanhee, and Heo Chanmi as the newest addition. Soonkyu was recruited thanks to the rave recommendation from SM Towner Ahyoomi. Prior to her audition to SM Entertainment, Soon-kyu trained in Wheesung’s company. Unfortunately the company went bankrupt. Lee Hwanhee was re-recruited to the group. Heo Chanmi joined the group as the youngest one.

This line-up has 12 members, unlike the initial plan of 11 members. At this point (somewhere around mid 2006), the group went a lot of trials to decide who got cut out from the group. Sites like Naver and Daum had posted this >>line-up prediction<<, with Lee Soon-kyu being the “mysterious trainee”.

The 12 members /1st Row L-R/ Chanmi, Soonkyu, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Soyeon, Hwanhee, Stephanie /2nd Row L-R/ Taeyeon, Juhyun, Yoona, Jessica, Sooyoung

/First Row L-R/ Hwanhee, Hyoyeon, Taeyeon, Jessica, Soyeon, Chanmi /Second Row L-R/ Juhyun, Soonkyu, Yoona, Yuri, Sooyoung

First Row L-R/ Stephanie (Tiffany), Taeyeon, Jessica, Hyoyeon, Sooyoung /Second Row L-R/ Soyeon, Yuri, Yoona, Soonkyu (Sunny), Juhyun (Seohyun)

As you can see, the last picture is the closest one to final line-up. Both Lee Hwanhee and Heo Chanmi were being cut from the group. Some people said that SM actually planned to debut the group with this 10 members line-up. Unfortunately, one of the main vocalists and ‘leader’ Park Soyeon decided to quit due to ‘harsh’ training. She wasn’t the only one who felt that way. You may have heard about how Kim Taeyeon, too, had thought about quitting. She even had runaway for one day before coming back to the training process.

As we have known, this project group debuted under the name So Nyuh Shi Dae (SNSD) in 2007, shortly after Soyeon, Chanmi, and Hwanhee left. However, two years later in 2009, Soyeon finally debuted under MNet’s girl group, T-ara.

IN: —
OUT: Park So-yeon, Lee Hwan-hee, Heo Chan-mi

SM GIRL GROUP – FINAL ROOSTER

Members: Kim Tae-yeon, Jessica Jung, Lee Soon-kyu (Sunny), Stephanie Hwang (Tiffany), Kim Hyo-yeon, Kwon Yu-ri, Choi Soo-young, Im Yoon-a, Seo Ju-hyun (Seohyun),

Leader: Kim Tae-yeon (1989) | Maknae: Seo Ju-hyun (1991)

Interestingly enough, the six girls who stay in the group are Jessica Jung, Kim Hyoyeon, Kwon Yuri, Choi Sooyoung, Im Yoona, and Seo Juhyun. There were more line-up revisions coming, but we all know that those six made it to the final line-up. They pretty much had secured their place in the project group even from the get go. Funny how half of the above mention names have now become the “underrated” members as they are among the “first” to be added in SNSD.

Former SNSD Project Group Members.

Park So Yeon (Hangul: 박소연; Hanja: 朴素妍; born October 5, 1987), is a South Korean idol, singer, dancer. She is the leader, main vocalist and spokesperson for another successful K-pop girl group T-ara.

Heo Chanmi (born April 6, 1992) is the Main Vocalist for Coed School . Chanmi and Park So Yeon were in the same management company which is Core Content Media.

Hwang Bo Ra – 황보라 (born October 2, 1983) Until March 2012, She has starred in 6 Films and 1O dramas. Currently in March 2012, She acting along side Girl’s Generation members Yoona in drama called LOVE RAIN and her character is 70’s University Friend named In Sook .

Lee Yeon-hee (born January 9, 1988) is a South Korean actress and model under record label and talent agency, S.M. Entertainment. Since She change her career path from singer to actress, she has starred numerous film and drama. She wins 3 awards from drama East of Eden in 2008 which is Best New Actress Award, Popularity Award and Best Couple Award with actors Song Seung Hun. She also win Best Newcomer Award and New Actress Award both also in year 2008.

Zhang Liyin (born February 28, 1989), better known in South Korea as Jang Ri-in, is a Chinese solo singer active in China and South Korea. Subject to much publicity, Zhang has been nicknamed the “Chinese BoA” and the next leader of the Korean wave. She released a duet with JYJ Xiah Junsu title “Timeless” in 2006. She also were in the same company as Lee Yeon Hee.

Lee Hwanhee or known by stage name Fwaney, has released a debut single called ‘Secret’ on 23rd April 2012. She been trained by SM Entertainment for 7 years and in addition 3 years more at Worthy Entertainment. Hwanhee is known by SONE as Seohyun best friend since the early period of training at SM Entertainment. Seohyun and Hwanhee still maintain their close relationship as Seohyun mention Hwanhee name in Talk program show ‘ Big Brothers’ in early of year 2012.

Jang Ha Jin , former SM Girl group revision 2 or former SNSD project group member, she left SM training system 6 month before SNSD debut day to focus on her study. She graduated from Beaksuk High school in Ilsan and now studying Engineering at KAIST University in South Korea. She enter SM Teenager Best Competition in beauty division and won first place. Ha Jin was in charge of being the ‘Visual line’ of SNSD project group alongside with Yoona and Jessica. Although its been reported that Ha Jin lost contact with SNSD members but before enroll into KAIST, she pay a visit to SM Entertainment and actually met her former trainee group members in SNSD.

Friendship Never Ends.

Until year 2012, most of the Girls’ Generation pre-debut members pursue different career and success with winning several awards even releasing new album and acting as main character in movie or drama.

There were several article reported that Lee Hwan Hee are still keep in touch with her childhood friend Girls’ Generation Seohyun and Stella Kim were spotted together with Girl’s Generation Sooyoung in her Twitter selca picture. Even they were not debut together as Girls Generation, several pre-debut members are still showing their friendship towards all Girls’ Generation members.

Now here is your 9 Girls’ Generation members