I.O.I have confirmed that they will reunite for the first time since their disbandment in 2017.
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The K-pop girl group are set to reunite during a live broadcast titled ‘I.5.I – Yes, I Love It!’, in celebration of the fifth anniversary of their debut, according to The Chosun Ilbo. The livestream will be held on May 4 at 7pm KST on the streaming platforms KT Olleg TV, KT Seezn and TVING.
South Korean news outlets Kyunghyang Shinmun and Sports Seoul had originally reported on the group’s possible reunion on April 13. At the time, the outlets claimed that only nine of the group’s 11 members will be physically present at the live broadcast: Kyulkyung will not be able to attend as she is currently in China, while Kang Mina is shooting or an upcoming TV drama.
It is currently unknown if the two remaining members will be in attendance. However, the original reports noted that the two members might still make an appearance through video calls, although details were being worked out at the time.
I.O.I had originally planned to reunite in October of 2019. However, that was subsequently cancelled due to schedule conflicts, as well as the vote manipulation investigation over the TV series Produce 101, through which the group had been formed.
I.O.I officially debuted as a temporary project group in May 2016, following their participation in the Mnet survival reality show Produce 101. They released two mini-albums and a handful of singles over the course of their career, including the chart-topping song ‘Very Very Very’, before disbanding in January 2017.
Meanwhile, former member Chung Ha dropped her debut full-length album ‘Querencia’ in March. In the same month, the singer also released a Spanish version of the song ‘Demente’ and collaborated with K-pop veteran Rain for the song ‘Why Don’t We’.
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