The members of I.O.I recently opened up about the intense behind-the-scenes competition from their ‘Produce 101’ days!
On May 18, a new video was uploaded to the channel ‘Zzanhan Hyung Shin Dongyup’ featuring I.O.I’s Jeon Somi, Choi Yoojung, Kim Chungha, and Yoo Yeonjung as guests.
Formed through the 2016 Mnet survival show ‘Produce 101’, I.O.I debuted in May 2016. After wrapping up their activities with a final concert in January 2017, the members pursued individual paths, but they have now reunited after 9 years to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Yoo Yeonjung, who achieved a miraculous rise in rankings, shared her desperation: “Nowadays, audition programs start by revealing ‘hidden cards,’ but since we were the first, we went in without being part of a debut group.” She added, “I felt like it had to be this or nothing. If I went back to my company, I’d just be a trainee again, so I really grit my teeth and gave it my all.”
Yoo Yeonjung, who turned the tables by proving her vocal skills with Girls’ Generation’s ‘Into the New World,’ recalled, “I remember sleeping at home after that recording when my mom told me, ‘You’re currently number one on the real-time search rankings!’ and I was like, ‘Me?'”
Chungha also revealed that this was her final challenge, with her livelihood on the line. “I was an adult at the time, and my family’s financial situation wasn’t great,” she explained. “If this didn’t work out, I would have had to start working part-time jobs to support myself. I didn’t want to be swayed by my circumstances and wanted to test my potential one last time.”
Jeon Somi spoke about the harsh environment of the first season. “It was really tough back then. Since it was the first season, even the writers and PDs didn’t quite know what to do with us. It felt like a pilot, so the system was lacking. We were basically trapped in a village in Paju and had to travel by bus for filming,” she said, mentioning the stress of being isolated.
Specifically, Jeon Somi admitted she felt awkward with Kim Sejeong, as they were competing for the top two spots. “I was actually a bit awkward with Sejeong unnie. When I first appeared, I couldn’t even think, ‘I need to do this and that to beat her.’ But at some point, the gap between Sejeong unnie and me closed, and we were fighting for 1st and 2nd place, so I kept becoming conscious of it. Then we suddenly debuted and were told, ‘You’re one team now, so get along well,’ which made things feel awkward back then,” she honestly shared.
