Aspiring idol Kim Ra-hee. [Kim Ra-hee Channel/Herald Muse]
Aspiring idol Kim Ra-hee. [Kim Ra-hee Channel/Herald Muse]

A teenage girl who caught the eye of singer Psy at his summer concert "Heumppuk Show" and received an on-the-spot casting offer turns out to be an idol trainee already preparing for her debut.

A clip from the Heumppuk Show posted to Instagram on Sunday surpassed 11 million views in a single day, drawing wide attention online. The girl, briefly shown on the concert's giant screen, sparked a wave of curiosity across online communities and social media as viewers tried to find out who she was.

With tens of thousands of fans packed into the venue, the girl showed no sign of nerves when the camera suddenly turned to her — she danced freely and confidently to the music, drawing the crowd's gaze with her relaxed, expressive performance. Watching from the stage, Psy told his staff directly, "Have our P NATION manager go over and get her contact information. We'll be seeing each other again soon," signaling his intent to sign her.

Cheers and exclamations erupted from the audience — "She's so pretty," "Who on earth is she?" — and after the clip went public, praise flooded in online as well, with comments such as "She already looks like a celebrity," "She was born for the stage," and "Her star quality is something else."

The girl at the center of the buzz has been identified as Kim Ra-hee, born in 2012, who is currently undergoing professional training with the goal of debuting as an idol. She has been consistently working on her vocals, dance, stage presence and performance skills, and her moment in the spotlight at the concert is said to have been entirely unplanned.

BNB Idol Lab, the specialist idol training agency Kim belongs to, said she "was completely caught off guard and is still in shock." The agency added, "She has always been someone who genuinely enjoys being on stage, but the fact that she showed her own energy without shrinking in front of such a massive crowd seems to be what led to this great outcome."


betterj@heraldcorp.com