Most fans are familiar with the story that after being eliminated from Superstar K3, Jungkook turned down seven offers from entertainment companies, including some of the most prestigious agencies at the time, such as Cube and Starship Entertainment, in order to join Big Hit Music. The most commonly cited reason among ARMYs is that Jungkook admired RM, who would later become the leader of BTS.

However, much of the anecdotal story of Jungkook’s journey to Big Hit had never been shared in detail—until a recent exclusive interview with Noh Min-mi, Big Hit Music’s casting director, who was directly involved in signing Jungkook 14 years ago. The interview gives fans a clearer view of the pivotal decision that paved the way for the “golden maknae” to become a global superstar.

These revelations not only moved ARMYs but also showcased the boldness of Big Hit when faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

When asked about her first impressions of the BTS members, Noh Min-mi recalled her first encounter with Jungkook: "The first member for whom I personally conducted the casting from the very beginning was Jungkook. He took part in the program Superstar K, where he received a lot of business cards from different companies… And then I see a boy with bright, shining eyes, a very cute appearance, and even some kind of “aura” around him. I thought: "Wow, what a wonderful boy!" And as if under hypnosis, I immediately gave him my card, took his contacts, and let him go".

However, the casting director quickly realized that Big Hit might lose this talented boy, as he had already caught the attention of many other companies. Normally, the process is audition → selection → contract signing. But Jungkook’s case was different.

Noh Min-mi recounted: “At the same moment I noticed that other casting directors from different companies also paid attention to Jungkook. Usually the process is like this: you bring a person to the audition, he pαѕѕes the selection, and only then he can become a trainee. But at that moment he already received so many offers that I realized, I could lose him. I turned to the company: "What will we do? I think he cannot be missed". And υиєχρє¢тє∂ly I heard in response: "If you are sure, then let’s sign a contract right away"".

"I was ѕнσ¢кed, because usually it is not done like this. But I felt that this was a chance that could not be missed. Right then I called Jungkook’s father and said: "We want to sign a contract with your son", she talked about her awkwardness but urgency. To which, his father's reaction was skeptical, answered: "And why doesn’t Big Hit set an audition date like all the other companies, but immediately offers a contract?" At that moment, as if by intuition, she said: "There is huge potential in your son. I must take him". 

An interesting detail she shared: when she called Jungkook himself, his phone’s waiting melody was a song by 2AM—the group Big Hit managed at the time. That small detail made the conversation between them feel even more personal and trustworthy.

"When I called Jungkook himself, he had a waiting melody on the phone, a song of 2AM. At that time we were engaged in the management of the group 2AM, and I even told Jungkook’s father about it. We then talked a lot and for a long time on the phone, and one day he suddenly called me himself and said: "We decided to sign a contract with Big Hit", she told.

Even though many other companies were ready to wait at Seoul Station just to meet Jungkook, his family decided to choose Big Hit. Noh Min-mi recalled emotionally: "Later I found out an interesting thing: other companies were literally begging him to meet, saying they would wait at Seoul Station just to get a chance to talk. But Jungkook’s father answered: "No. We already decided to sign a contract"". 

“Even now, every day it still seems amazing to me,” Noh Min-mi shared. “It really was like fate: both that his father believed in our company, and that the management agreed to sign without an audition, all this coincided and became a real miracle".

A decision that seemed bold back in 2011 became the key to opening the golden history of Jungkook, BTS, and Big Hit Music in the years that followed. A decade later, the miracle of fate remains hard to explain—but we all know that beyond fate, seizing opportunities and staying steadfast in one’s determination is what ensured that neither Jungkook nor Big Hit Music ever regretted their choice.