His retirement was unexpected.
Koreaboo
2 hours ago
In 2017, the second season of Produce 101 aired, showing the selection process for the boy group WANNA ONE.
WANNA ONE
Like the previous season’s winners, I.O.I., WANNA ONE saw significant popularity before the group’s disbandment in 2019. Afterwards, the members began other activities, with some debuting in new groups or as solo artists.
In the case of Lai Gualin, he debuted in a duo with PENTAGON‘s Wooseok, Wooseok x Guanlin, before he requested the termination of his contract with Cube Entertainment.
After this, he focused his career in China, where he worked as an actor until 2024, when he announced his retirement to “switch careers” and now focuses on directing behind the scenes.
In a recent interview, the idol finally discussed what helped to push his decision to quit working in front of the camera.
While speaking on a podcast, Guanlin stated that the difference in values truly helped to push his decision. Part of this was his agency’s attitude about him potentially having a relationship, saying that they preferred he have short casual relationships, i.e., hook-ups, rather than an actual relationship.
He also mentioned a moment when he saw a child actor perform, which made him reflect o
n his own skills.
WANNA ONE is set to reunite later this year, which you can read about below.
Kang Daniel’s Unexpected Comments On WANNA ONE’s Reunion Spark Heartbreak