On March 25, HYBE officially presented its latest girl group ILLIT, managed by its subsidiary BELIFT LAB.
ILLIT is made up of trainees who participated in the survival show “RU Next”, initially planned to debut with 6 members. However, Youngseo – one of the most popular trainees – dropped out at the last minute, leaving the group’s final lineup consisting of 5 members including Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee, and Iroha.
ILLIT made their official debut with the release of the EP “Super Real Me” and the title track and MV “Magnetic”. Since ILLIT is made up of young girls with straight black hair and embraces a “Y2K” style, they are initially compared to HYBE’s previous girl group: NewJeans.
However, with the success of “Magnetic,” ILLIT finally seems to be creating its own identity instead of being called “NewJeans lookalikes.”
On the other hand, the name ILLIT (or I’LL-IT) comes from the phrase “I Will Be It”, which shows the group’s determined attitude and ambition to express a unique identity. As HYBE’s latest girl group, ILLIT quickly broke many records, creating promising achievements that made people curious about the 5 young, beautiful and energetic members.
Below is a breakdown of the 5 members of ILLIT:
Yunah
Being the oldest member of ILLIT, Yunah was born in January 2004 and began her internship journey in 2018 at the age of 14. Yunah trained at Stardium Entertainment before moving to Source Music, a HYBE subsidiary that manages LE SSERAFIM, in 2020.
In 2023, Yunah became a contestant of “RU Next” as a trainee of BELIFT LAB and also the contestant with the longest training period (5 years). Based on her time at Source Music, many fans speculate that Yunah trained with members of LE SSERAFIM.
Thanks to her rigorous training, Yunah confidently advanced through each round of “RU Next,” always placing first.
On September 1, 2023, Yunah officially became the latest member announced for girl group ILLIT’s new project. Yunah is one of the three Korean members of ILLIT, known for her calm and collected personality.
However, compared to the other 4 members, Yunah has a more mature visual appearance. Therefore, in the group’s first release, which has an innocent and cute concept, Yunah did not fully show her potential and was criticized for not fitting the concept.
Minju
Minju, whose appearance exudes innocence and sweetness, is often compared to a doll by Korean fans. Furthermore, Minju’s small but round face and big eyes resemble a “fourth generation top visual”: Sullyoon from NMIXX. Born in 2004, Minju is also one of the oldest members of ILLIT.
Minju embarked on the path to becoming a K-pop idol at the age of 15. She trained under YG Entertainment and was a promising face in BLACKPINK’s little sister’s debut project: BABYMONSTER. In 2021, Minju left YG to join BELIFT LAB, but still maintains a close relationship with the BABYMONSTER member.
Minju was trained and directed to become a singer. In addition to her ability to sing, the female idol also knows how to play the violin. Minju is the third member to receive a debut slot with ILLIT.
Mocha
Among the 5 members, Moka has caused the most buzz so far. She has been immersed in Korean music and entertainment since childhood because her mother is a die-hard BIGBANG fan and nurtured her dream of becoming an idol through this motivation.
She was born in October 2004.
In 2020, Moka joined the HYBE label in Japan and is known for her penchant for dance. However, she aspires to be a “jack of all trades” like BLACKPINK’s Jennie. When she was first introduced on “RU Next”, Moka stood out with her cute and pure visual characteristics, reminiscent of “The Glory” star Shin Ye-eun. Moka secured her debut opportunity with ILLIT in the fifth finishing position.
During the “Magnetic” promotion, Moka attracted the public’s attention with a series of sensational fancams. Moka’s personal fancam on “The Show” reached almost 1 million views in just 2 weeks. He received a lot of praise for his good stage presence, which suited the concept of ILLIT. However, Moka also attracted controversy for her somewhat lacking live singing skills during the group’s encore stage.
Wonhee
Unlike the other members, Wonhee’s journey as an apprentice was quite special. It was noticed in a subway station for its exceptional visual, which fit perfectly with the concept of ILLIT. Born in 2007, Wonhee never thought of becoming an idol before. Discovered in April 2023, she recorded “RU Next” in May. Soon after 1 month of training, the female idol was selected and debuted successfully.
Despite having little experience, Wonhee was a formidable competitor on the show, consistently achieving high rankings. Wonhee received high marks for its lovely, pure yet extremely unique graphics. She was ultimately selected as a member of ILLIT via fan votes.
During the “Magnetic” promotion, Wonhee consistently trended with her fancams, which attracted hundreds of thousands of views. Along with Moka, Wonhee also contributed to the virality of “Magnetic”.
Iroha
Iroha was born in 2008, making her the youngest member of ILLIT. One of two Japanese members, Iroha has been exposed to music and dance since he was 3 years old. His dancing skills have always been top of mind in “RU Next.”
Before coming to HYBE, Iroha was a trainee at JYP Entertainment, having trained alongside NiziU and NMIXX. Iroha finished fourth and earned the opportunity to debut with ILLIT. Iroha has a cute appearance, reminiscent of the beauty of comic book girls.
Source: K14
