PSY Cast a Middle Schooler at 'SUMMERSWAG' — She Says She's Not a Trainee

A middle school student who caught PSY's attention at his summer concert and was offered an on-the-spot casting has pushed back on rumors that she is already a K-pop trainee.

Kim Ra-hee posted a video on her social media on July 27, writing plainly, "I am not a trainee."

The moment that started it all happened on the 25th at Wonju Sports Complex in Gangwon Province, during "PSY Drenched Show SUMMERSWAG 2026." Kim was caught by the venue's big screen mid-show. Instead of freezing up, she danced and played to the camera with easy, natural expressions. The crowd responded loudly to a kid clearly at home in front of thousands of people.

PSY noticed. From the stage, he told his team to act on the spot. "Have a P NATION manager go get that kid's contact info," he said. "We're going to meet again soon." The clip spread quickly on YouTube and online communities in the following days, and questions about who she was and what she would do next started building online.

Kim, born in 2012, is reportedly a dance academy student who wants to become an idol. After her academy shared news links about the moment, some online posts began suggesting she was actually a trainee under a specific agency, and that the viral clip was a planned push to raise her profile. Kim addressed that directly herself. She dreams of being an idol and attends a dance academy, but she is not signed to an agency or preparing for debut as a trainee.

On her social media, Kim also shared what happened after the cameras cut. She did in fact hand her contact information to PSY's manager. Whether a public casting offer from one of K-pop's biggest showmen actually leads to a debut is now the open question.