Lee Elijah, a South Korean actress, has said that some of the biggest names in the K-pop industry tried to date her before she decided not to become an idol. This new information gives us a better idea of her early career and the decisions that led her to acting and music variety shows.

Lee discussed the story on the MBC variety show "The Manager" (also known as Point of Omniscient Interfere) recently. She talked about her early music goals and the problems she had to deal with.

"I learned classical vocal music when I was in third grade," she said. "I pursued music until high school, but I had to stop due to vocal cord nodules. This is a case of me trying again after that," describing her renewed efforts through her appearance on Miss Trot.

The Koreaboo report also said that her choice to join the trot competition program was also based on her tastes and those of her family. Before she discussed the show, she said "My mother is also a big fan of Miss Trot, and since I also enjoy songs from her generation, I ultimately decided to appear on the program."

READ MORE: Lee Elijah and Ji Il Joo for the Upcoming Movie, "Your Girlfriend"

Lee's current projects demonstrate her range as an entertainer, though she revealed that her initial foray into the industry was as a K-pop scout. According to xportsnews, talent scouts often contacted her while she was still in school.

She said, "I was actually scouted quite often on the street when I was in high school. I received business cards from both SM Entertainment and Big Hit Music. I even had an in-person meeting with Chairman Bang Si-hyuk at the time!"

Lee didn't go the idol route, even though she had many high-profile chances to do so. She said that her family and the situation at the time had a big impact on her decision. She said, "My parents told me to go to college first. Once I stepped away, it wasn't easy to go back."

The outlet says that her story shows how unpredictable careers in entertainment can be, with timing and personal choices having a big effect on the path one takes. Instead of starting out as a K-pop idol, Lee built her career through acting and later branched out into music-related shows.