Hope Torture
Caty finishes her three months in Seoul and prepares to return home to LA. She faces one final hurdle as her academy surprises her with a last-minute evaluation. So far, Caty hasn’t passed any auditions to become a train…
Mission K-Pop
Follow Caty Szeto, a 23-year-old Asian American from LA, as she leaves everything familiar to pursue an almost impossible dream in Seoul. Mission K-Pop is an intimate audio documentary that tracks her grueling journey through a competitive K-Pop academy, where days are consumed by relentless training in vocal technique, complex choreography, and the precise art of idol styling. This podcast, from 2025 USG Audio, goes beyond the glittering performances to document the raw reality of preparation for high-stakes auditions with legendary agencies like SM Entertainment, Big Hit Music, and YG Entertainment. You'll hear the physical strain, the cultural adjustments, and the emotional weight of a single goal: to earn a spot in the fiercely competitive world of K-Pop. It's a story about ambition, identity, and the immense personal cost of a shot at stardom. Each episode pulls you directly into Caty's world, capturing the sounds of the practice room, the nerves before an evaluation, and the candid conversations about what it truly takes. This isn't just about music; it's a deep dive into a global cultural phenomenon through the lens of one determined individual. Tune in for a compelling, human-centered narrative that explores the intersection of arts, culture, and personal sacrifice, all within the high-pressure machine that creates the idols we see on stage.
Episodes
Alternate Realities
If Caty were cast by an entertainment agency, she’d become a trainee. That is far from the glamorous lifestyle of a K-Pop superstar. Haeryun finds out the reality of traineeship by meeting two former trainees, including…
Lift the Curtain
Despite many try-outs, Caty isn’t passing auditions to become a trainee at a K-Pop entertainment agency. Haeryun doesn’t know exactly why. She’s never been allowed to go into an audition room to actually see how Caty per…
Face Value
K-Pop idols are basically synonymous with good looks. Female K-Pop stars generally have fair skin, big eyes, small noses, egg-shaped heads and weigh less than 50 kgs or 110 lbs. Caty’s vocal coach says that if Caty wants…
Foreign Idol
While K-Pop has been embraced all over the world, it’s still difficult for foreigners to find their place in the industry. Caty speaks Korean well, but struggles with communication at times. Haeryun wonders if this is ge…
The Age Old Question
Caty’s psyched to have her first audition for a K-Pop entertainment agency.But before she can even step foot into the audition room, she’s told she’s too old to try out. Caty’s 23 years old in an industry that prefers to…
Magical Thinking
Caty Szeto has a mission. She wants to be a K-Pop idol.Caty’s always been into performing, especially dancing. But as an Asian American, Caty found it hard to see representation in the entertainment industry. That was, u…
The Academy
Welcome to the academy. Our host, journalist Haeryun Kang, follows Caty as she gets acquainted with K-Pop Art School, an incubator for aspiring K-Pop idols.Early on, Caty hears warnings about the demands of the industry…
Mission K-Pop Trailer
Caty Szeto is a woman with a dream: to become a K-Pop superstar. The 23-year-old Asian American is traveling from her home in LA to South Korea’s capital Seoul to attend a K-Pop academy. There she’ll do hardcore training…
