“This should be illegal”: Netizens react as Red Velvet's Yeri reveals SM Entertainment sent her to a spinal clinic as a trainee to help her grow tall

On Saturday, August 9, Red Velvet's Yeri made a guest appearance on Lee Hyeri's popular YouTube talk show series, Hyeri's Club. During the same time, the two celebrities talked about the various memories Yeri could recall from her trainee days. While some of the memories were hilarious and lighthearted, one particular revelation from the idol shocked many fans and netizens.

At one point, the idol explained that during her trainee days, her agency, SM Entertainment, sent her to the spinal clinic to help her grow taller. She explained that she wasn't the only one, and multiple other trainees had also undergone the same treatment. She also stated that the agency was restrictive of the trainees' diets and closely watched what they ate.

Here's what she said:

To help us get taller, they’d send us to places like spine clinics. One time, I ordered pizza with the other trainees there. I still don’t know how we got caught, but we did. I was always getting in trouble over food."

Following this, many people found the incident to be controversial, and they called out SM Entertainment for the harsh beauty standards they imposed on their trainees. Here are a few fan reactions regarding the same:

"This should be illegal"

More fans and netizens expressed their concerns over the issue.

Others also expressed their concerns over the alleged practices followed by K-pop agencies.

All you need to know about Red Velvet's Yeri and her recent solo activities

Red Velvet's Yeri or Kim Ye-ri is a South Korean singer and actress who debuted under SM Entertainment, alongside her fellow K-pop girl group members in 2015. Following her debut, she also hosted MBS's Show! Music Core with SHINee's Minho and VIXX's N from May to November in 2015.

Soon after, in July 2016, she launched her acting career by starring in J-Min and Shim Eun-jee's music video for Way Back Home. Apart from her activities as a Red Velvet member, she began her solo career with her first self-composed single, Dear Diary. She also started her own reality variety show in 2020, called Yeri's Room, through her YouTube channel, Dum DUm Studio.

In 2021, she was also cast in the one-part TVN drama series Mint Condition, and soon after, she made her solo acting debut with the web series Blue Birthday. Around March 2023, she was the female lead of the Wavve web series B*tch X Rich. On the other hand, most recently, the idol departed SM Entertainment in April 2025.

While she will continue to stay under the agency for group activities with Red Velvet, following the expiration of her contract with SM Entertainment, she chose not to renew her contract. Around May this year, the idol announced that she had signed an agreement with Blitzway Entertainment for her acting career.

In terms of group activities, Red Velvet released a new version of their 2024 EP, Cosmic, on August 1, featuring a new song addition called Sweet Dreams, a fan song created for the group's 10th debut anniversary.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Maithreyi S