Lee Soo-man
Their official biography video states that Bada was the first one to be discovered, when Lee Soo-man saw her singing at her performing arts school in 1996. Taken by her voice, he quickly offered her a recording contract. Eugene, on the other hand, was not cast in person. Instead, she sent in a video from Guam, where she was living at the time, showcasing her bubbly personality. It reached SM executives, who agreed that she could be a star. The last member to be cast was Shoo, who was the only one to go through a "real" audition process. They quickly began training, going through voice, dance, and interview lessons.