In the third episode of Nana Tour, SEVENTEEN visited the charming city of Tuscany, Italy. Mingyu, The8, and Na PD formed a group to have lunch at a famous restaurant. Here, Mingyu revealed details about his early days as a trainee. The male rapper joined Pledis at the young age of 15 while still in high school. At that time, Mingyu’s mother was one of the reasons that motivated him to become an idol trainee. However, the surprising revelation came from the backstory.
Mingyu, like many other teenagers, went through a “rebellious” phase. During middle school, frustrated with Mingyu’s mischievous behavior, his mother went to the church and prayed for someone else to take care of her son. Just one week after this memorable event, Mingyu was recruited by Pledis to become a trainee. Mingyu’s mother’s prayers were answered!
“At the age of 15, I entered a rebellious phase. My mom had to work hard to raise me. She told me that she went to the church to pray for someone else to take care of me instead of her. A week later, I was chosen, and Pledis took care of me. I missed my mom and realized how precious she is,” Mingyu shared.
Through dedicated training, Mingyu eventually succeeded in debuting and became the most popular member of SEVENTEEN. Listening to his stories, many fans admire Mingyu for his successful transition from a troublesome teenager to a well-established idol. Mingyu is beloved for his image as a kind-hearted and charismatic “big puppy” on stage, contrasting with his goofy and “awkwardly cool” personality behind the scenes.
As a member with a god-like appearance and towering height of 187cm, Mingyu is the most robust in the group but often becomes the target of teasing from his fellow members. Many humorous moments captured by fans have become the unique “brand” of Kim Mingyu.
The rebellious teenage years made his mother feel helpless, but upon joining SEVENTEEN, Mingyu became the caretaker of the group, developing a passion for cooking and showing exceptional care for his fellow members. Life within the group of 12 members has shaped Mingyu into an understanding and patient idol.
