Singer and actress Kim Sejeong recently confessed that she found Jeon Somi difficult to approach during their time in I.O.I.
On the May 4th episode of the SBS variety show ‘Ani Geunde Jinjja!’ (hereafter ‘A-Geun-Jin’), the members of I.O.I reunited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut.
During the show, Jeon Somi looked back on her time winning ‘Produce 101′. She caught viewers’ attention by revealing that she had been in a rivalry with runner-up Kim Sejeong for six months, confessing, “We competed for 1st place every week and then debuted as one team. Because of that, Kim Sejeong was difficult for me.”
Kim Sejeong agreed, saying, “I’m the type of person who finds it harder to get close when I try too hard. Because the show kept dividing us into 1st and 2nd place, I wanted to say ‘We’re not like that, we’re close,’ but in reality, I found Jeon Somi difficult.”
She further explained that a difference in values played a role, stating, “I’m a ‘kkondae’ (old-school) and Jeon Somi has a more international mindset, so I thought I should be more mindful of my manners toward her.”
Jeon Somi also shared a memory of being hurt by Kim Sejeong. When she was 16, during a monthly meeting, she was lying down because she had an early schedule the next day, and Kim Sejeong pointed out that it was impolite.
When Kim Sejeong stood her ground, saying, “I don’t remember it well, but I still think sitting up would have been the right thing to do,” Jeon Somi replied, “That’s true. But what was scarier than Kim Sejeong back then were the eyes of the other eleven members staring at me all at once.”
Meanwhile, I.O.I is a project group formed through the Mnet audition program ‘Produce 101’. After ending their activities in 2017 and pursuing solo careers, they have reunited to celebrate their 10th debut anniversary.
