The girl group I.O.I's reunion process is not being smooth.
After denying their reunion rumor four times, the group finally admitted they will make a comeback in October. However, they postponed it to December in order to finalize the album.
Amid a noisy process on the reunion process, I.O.I is facing an unexpected problem.
I.O.I's debut audition is being caught in a controversy together with 'Produce 101'. Furthermore, Choi Yu Jung will suspend her activity due to her health issues. Will I.O.I be able to complete their reunion?
Yu Jung, a member of I.O.I and Weki Meki, temporarily stopped her entertainment activities due to her health reasons. On October 16, her agency, Fantagio Music, released the statement, "Choi Yu Jung will suspend her music activities for a while due to her health reasons."
Her fans sent messages of support saying that they wished for Choi's recovery. Above all, Choi is in the preparation of a reunion of I.O.I in December. Her recovery time will influence again the comeback schedule of the girl group.
Fans are expressing by saying that they want to see the group's comeback after being fully ready.
The ongoing controversy over Produce 101 series vote manipulation may concern I.O.I as the group made debut through the program.
The popular girl group, I.O.I, was born through Mnet's 'Produce 101' Season 1 in 2016. The group 's popularity was impacted by the 'Produce 101'. However, the current atmosphere of 'Produce 101' is gloomy. Produce 101 is currently under a suspicion of rigging final votes.
The police are conducting an all-round investigation not only on 'Produce X101', but also on all seasons of 'Produce 101'. The police, which recently took over the case from the prosecution, spurred the investigation, conducting seizure and searches on the CJ ENM office, text voting data archives and five entertainment companies. They recently summoned the producing directors and agency staff members to obtain relevant data by season.
The aftermath naturally spread to the debut groups through 'Produce 101'. Produce X101's final debut group, X1, is being rejected from any broadcast programs. The ripple effect from the controversy reached IZ*ONE, Wanna One and I.O.I.
Most of all, I.O.I has already thrown the ballot for a comeback scheduled in December. The process until the comeback announcement was not so easy. Their fans' disappointment grew bigger as the new controversy was tied to the girl group.
I.O.I admitted that they would comeback in reunion when the fourth controversy broke out in regards to their re-uniting. When their fans' patience reached the limit, the group made a joyful announcement of their coming reunion.
However, suddenly, the schedule for shooting the music video was canceled. It is known that their comeback schedule is experiencing difficulties. The staff swiftly announced, "There is no change in our goal to complete the comeback by October."
But even for this, the agency adjusted the comeback schedule to December, which is 2 months later. Also their comeback will be missing with two members. This time, they will appear as a 9-member group of Kim Se-jung, Choi Yu Jung, Kim Cheong-ha, Kim So-hye, Ju Juk-kyung, Jung Chae-yeon, Kim Do-yeon, Kang Mi-na, and Im Na-young.
Jeon So-mi, who is active as a soloist, and Koo Seong-jeong, who is engaged with Cosmic Girls, will not be together but will support the group.
Now, the group will have to handle the issue of Choi Yu Jung's health problem and the heated controversy related to 'Produce 101'.
After eight months of the group's active performance, I.O.I held the goodbye concert with a promise of "Reunion After 5 Years." Many fans' wishes drove them to the threshold of the comeback, however, many obstacles still lie in front of their full reunion.
