An I.O.I member shared a story about being scolded by her fellow member during their time in the group.
On the 29th, the MBC variety show Radio Star aired a special episode titled “It’s Me, It’s Me! We Shine When We Come Together!”, featuring singer Jeon Somi, Lee Daehwi, actors Lee Jong Hyuk, and Yoo Sun as guests, who showcased their lively conversations.
During the show, MC Jang Do Yeon asked, “Was it difficult even after debuting with I.O.I?” Jeon Somi opened up by sharing an anecdote from her I.O.I days, saying, “After debut, we were so busy handling schedules every day. Even with that busy routine, we held team meetings once a month to keep the team spirit strong.”
Jeon Somi described how she had to wake up early every day due to the tight schedule. “Even if each person only said a little during the meeting, it took a long time,” she said. “Once, I was lying down to rest because I thought the meeting would interfere with my schedule the next day. But Sejeong unnie said, ‘Somi, the older members are still holding the meeting and sitting on the floor, so I don’t think it’s right for you to be lying down,’” she recalled, mimicking Kim Sejeong’s distinctive friendly tone, which made everyone laugh. She added, “There were times when I was dozing off, pursing my lips during the meeting,” sharing the amusing incident and drawing laughter.
Jeon Somi also mentioned that each member would get sensitive at times. “When that happened, someone would lead by saying, ‘Everyone, smile,’ and we all just had to laugh. That was the best,” she said. “It started by chance when we were just talking among ourselves, but when things got too sensitive, it was hard even to talk. So, without asking questions or arguing, we all just had to laugh out loud, and it really did lift the mood.”
Jeon Somi debuted in 2016 through Mnet’s girl group survival audition show Produce 101, winning votes to debut with the group I.O.I. As it was a project group, their activities ended within a year. However, recent news has attracted much attention as all members except Mina and Kyulkyung agreed to reunite and reform the group.