SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan calls Pledis a “hell company” as he reveals trainees once practiced for up to 18 hours without weekends

SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan surprised viewers by openly describing how demanding his trainee days were before the group’s debut.

Jeonghan appeared remotely on the Japanese TBS variety program Nichiyobi no Hatsu Mimi Gaku on August 2, where he reflected on his life as a trainee under Pledis Entertainment.

When asked about the company’s training system at the time, Jeonghan said, “First of all, our company was known as a ‘hell company.’ It was a company of devils.”

He explained that the members sometimes practiced from noon until 6 a.m. the following day.

Jeonghan added, “There were times when we practiced from 12 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning. We did it every day, and there were no weekends.”

The Japanese cast members appeared shocked after hearing that the trainees could spend as many as 18 hours practicing in one day.

Jeonghan also recalled that the schedule became so difficult that he once ran away from the practice room.

Although he laughed while watching an old clip of the moment, he explained that the group regularly practiced until sunrise before repeating the same routine.

According to Jeonghan, the presence of all 13 members helped him endure the difficult period.

He said, “One reason was that all 13 of us were together. SEVENTEEN’s strength is that we can turn difficult experiences into strength ourselves.”

The members also used music as a way to express their feelings, which later became part of SEVENTEEN’s well-known identity as a self-producing group.

Jeonghan said the fans have also played an important role in helping him continue his career.

He shared, “Thinking about our fans gives us the strength to continue promoting. The desire to work hard to receive their love is important.”

His comments gained additional attention after all 13 SEVENTEEN members recently agreed to renew their contracts with Pledis Entertainment for a second time.

The group explained that they chose to remain together because of their belief that they could achieve anything as a team and their shared desire to go even further together.