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Talk Talk Trainee is a South Korean talk show program broadcasted on SGA IDOL. Hosted by Ha Jiwon of Bee Entertainment and Gina Choi of EKLEIPSIS Entertainment, Talk Talk Trainee brings in idol trainees from various companies as guests to teach the public about the trainee lifestyle and possible upcoming idols. The program airs on Fridays from 7PM to 7:30PM and began airing on February 14th, 2025.
Talk Talk Trainee is similar to talk shows that idols and celebrities feature on, except its guests are people who are training to become idols, with the hosts being idol trainees as well. The program is meant to give trainees the opportunity to build their variety skills and promote themselves to the public.
Format[]
Opening Performance
The program opens with a short performance by the two hosts. The song is usually a trending song in the charts.
Let’s Talk Talk
The hosts introduce the guest trainee and they enter a themed room for the talking portion of the show. The room is decorated based on the trainee’s interests and company. During this part of the show, the trainee answers questions posed by the hosts and the public about themselves and training.
Trainee Performance
The trainee showcases their skills through a performance to a song of their choosing.
Background[]
Won Yuna, a producer for Seoul General Arts, conceptualized the program after watching a survival show and wanting to give trainees a different way of being promoted. She proposed the concept to SGA’s CEO in mid-2024 and received approval for a thirty-minute program. The program replaced a Friday spot in SGA IDOL’s schedule that aired reruns of IDOL SPOT 1X1.
The search for hosts for the program took place in December 2024 and January 2025. Trainees were allowed to audition if they were 17 and older, spoke Korean proficiently, and were comfortable being on camera. There was no age maximum to the search, and trainees could audition regardless of their training time. The hosts were chosen in mid-late January and announced to the public in February.
On April 11th, Gina Choi was announced as the replacement for Ainsley Kang, who had retired from being a host due to the survival show Kingdom Climbers.
Charlise Yun is welcomed as Talk Talk Trainee’s first ever guest. Charlise is a Korean-Malaysian trainee under Connection Entertainment born in 2004. She has been training for three years.
Opening Performance: Supernova by aespa
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Charlise discusses her background as a professional dancer, and how dancing for K-pop concerts with her crew inspired her love of idols. She tells the story of how her dance crew’s leader encouraged her to audition after hearing her sing at a karaoke night.
Jiwon and Ainsley learn about the dance style of tutting, which is Charlise’s special talent. She teaches the two of them a short routine.
Charlise lists SOMANY and R3THR0 as the artists she looks up to. She admires SOMANY’s dancing skill and individuality, and enjoys R3THR0’s music.
She admits her struggles with imposter syndrome, and the three of them discuss tips on how to overcome it. Charlise brings up how she used to overwork herself in order to feel more confident in her skills, but one of the dance instructors told her that the only way to perform at 110% is to keep your health at 110%, so she’s held on to that advice.
Charlise confesses that she and her friends snuck onto her high school’s roof and held a picnic before they graduated. Ainsley jokes that the three of them should sneak onto the production studio’s roof after filming to eat dinner together.
Charlise tells the viewers that she is tired of people thinking her name is Charlie and not Charlise, and asks them to remember it.
Nowa Haruno is welcomed as this episode's guest. Haruno is a Japanese trainee under Moon Choir Entertainment born in 2003. He has been training for four years.
Opening Performance: Resort to Something Drastic by Haeseung
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Haruno talks about how when he moved to South Korea, he was encouraged by his mother to become a trainee so that he could meet other Japanese trainees and make friends. He discusses how it was difficult at first, but he is very grateful to fellow trainees Kotaro and Seonhwa for being there for him.
Haruno lists 6topia, Jay of R3THR0, and 3RACHA as artists he looks up to. He explains that he admires idols who create their own art. Jiwon points out that both of the show’s guests so far have mentioned R3THR0 and then jokes about R3THR0 needing to sponsor the show.
He names vocal training as his favourite part of training. Haruno enjoys improving his vocals.
Haruno discusses being a pre-debut member of VALEN7IA before the group disbanded and his feelings on becoming a trainee again.
He talks about the tree in the backyard of where he grew up and how he and his sisters would climb it. They stopped climbing it after one of them fractured her elbow.
Haruno tells an embarrassing story from his childhood where he was casted for the lead of a school play. The night before the play, he was screaming a lot, so he lost his voice. Haruno couldn’t speak properly during the performance and felt like a chirping bird.
Hwang Doyul is welcomed as this episode’s guest. Doyul is a South Trainee under LOTUSBASE born in 2004. He has been training for eight years.
Opening Performance: Now or Never by OWLLIANCE
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Doyul discusses how he felt watching EXO’s “Growl” on a music show for the first time and how it made him want to become a trainee.
Jiwon and Ainsley learn how to effectively read tongue-twisters from Doyul before challenging him to read a very complicated series of phrases.
He names EXO’s Baekhyun, D.O, and Chen, as well as soloist DEC as the artists he looks up to. Doyul loves EXO’s vocal line because they inspired him to grow his own vocal skill and admires DEC’s determination.
Doyul mentions that the most difficult part of training is teamwork as he is a perfectionist and competitive. He is trying to improve in that aspect and feels like he’s grown a lot as he learns how to understand the perspectives of the trainees he practices with. Ainsley gives him some advice about teamwork from her experience on a survival show.
Doyul admits that he used to struggle with socializing with other trainees, but pushed himself to be friendly and not just stay quiet. He is proud of himself for pulling through and overcoming his anxieties.
Doyul showcases his emotional vocals for the hosts. Ainsley points out that she can hear EXO’s influence in Doyul’s voice.
Trainee Performance: Pineapple Slice by Moon Yujin
Kwon Kai is welcomed as this episode’s guest. Kai is a South Korean trainee under Big Planet Creative. He has been training for four years.
Opening Performance: Renegade by JUYI
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Kai expresses his love and admiration for ENVY and explains how they inspired him to want to become an idol. He names them as the artist he looks up to the most.
Jiwon convinces Kai to have a freestyle rap battle against him and Ainsley crowns Kai as the winner.
Kai discusses what it was like training under BYETOILE Academy and getting a chance to learn skills that he would have never gotten the chance to try before.
He walks Jiwon and Ainsley through how he writes rap verses and details his thought process.
Kai lists the monthly evaluations as the most difficult part of training for him. He mentions that they are expected to create original choreography, which is intimidating to him, but he always gets it done.
Kai decides that the concept he would want for his debut is dark, chic, and elegant.
Moon Yesol is welcomed as this episode’s guest. Yesol is a South Korean trainee under Revolv Records. She has been training for six years.
Opening Performance: SPACE by Noa
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Yesol discusses her background as a child actress, and how she became interested in K-pop through khaos. She tells the story of how she was casted while attending a khaos concert.
Yesol mentions growing up in Busan, and she and Jiwon reminisce about Busan’s beaches and how relaxing it is to walk along them.
She talks about how before training under Revolv Records, she was under a different company for four years, and how she struggled to make friends when she first started training because she was shy around the other trainees.
Yesol names khaos and DEC as the artists she looks up to. She was very invested in khaos’ lore with her friends and they were the group that made her want to be an idol. Yesol admires DEC’s songwriting and producing skills.
Yesol expresses how much she misses her mom’s cooking and how thinking about homemade food gives her motivation when she’s exhausted.
Yesol describes her ideal group concept to be versatile and different with each album.
Sion Kirakosyan is welcomed as this episode’s guest. Sion is an Armenian-Japanese trainee under YR Entertainment born in 2006. He has been training for four months.
Opening Performance: Ch@se by ODYSSEIA
Let’s Talk Talk summary:
Sion talks about how, as much as he liked music, he never planned to become an idol. His sister Tatev, of VIIXEN, is who inspired him to pursue this career path.
He names Tatev as the idol he looks up to the most and discusses how a video of him cheering her on during the WORLD CLASS finale went viral.
Sion shows off his skill of imitating foxes. Jiwon rewards him by giving him a goofy fox-ear headband.
Sion brings up his friend Beomhee, who has helped him adapt to Korean culture. He talks about how he used to get in trouble with the staff because of his personality, but Beomhee taught him how to navigate those situations.
He says that the thing he misses the most about Yerevan, Armenia, is the people and how warm and hospitable they were.
Sion tells the story of how he once threw his scarf, rolled up in a ball, at a staff member because he thought it was his sister.
