It’s been three years since BI left iKON and his former colleagues recalled for the first time in a public broadcast the pain they felt after the sad news.
On September 3, iKON members Bobby, Koo Junhoe, and Kim Donghyuk appeared as special guests on Channel A’s entertainment program, “Oh Eun Young’s Golden Clinic.”
During this broadcast, the members finally revealed their true feelings towards BI, their former leader who left the team in 2019 due to allegations of illegal drug use.
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After remaining tight-lipped for all these years, the three confessed that they suffered from anxiety when their former leader passed away. When Dr. Oh asked them to reveal what made them anxious, Kim replied:
“I don’t know. It’s been 8 years since our debut, and I’ve lived with the members for over 10 years. I was overwhelmed when I debuted and tasted joy when I briefly reached the top, but now the members are all anxious.”
Dr. Oh called this “vague anxiety” and asked the trio to narrate their most difficult moment as iKON. Donghyuk gathered his courage before speaking and narrated:
“To be honest, when BI left the team and we became a group of six, I was shocked because we didn’t have a leader. My hyung did a lot of things, but I don’t think any of the members left during that time.”
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READ ALSO: Former iKON BI’s Memorable Moments While In The Group
Junhoe also confessed:
“It was both unfortunate and difficult. We had been a team since we were interns, and no one had ever left. We were doing well, so when one of us suddenly left, it didn’t feel real, more like sad. When he said, ‘I’m leaving,’ we suddenly felt a bit like strangers.”
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Bobby also shared his feelings, adding:
“I didn’t even think, ‘What do I do now?’ It just disappeared, I think I lived with that thought for a few months. I felt bitter about the absence of a person I had lived with because a friend I had been with for years suddenly disappeared.”
At the time, Bobby thought that iKON would end and fail without BI, which hinted at the huge void he left in the team.
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“When the leader who had such an important role in the team and was the pillar that took care of so many things left, I thought, ‘Is this the end of iKON?’ and I remember even telling the members, ‘iKON will fail without BI.'”
Junhoe also stated that he has stopped making any public content, especially for popular and national broadcasts.
After listening to the members’ stories, Dr. Oh Eun Young diagnosed:
“(The members’ withdrawal) seems like an understatement, and it feels like a total shock. No matter what the situation is, the clear fact is that it was not the fault of the three of them. However, since the group is united as iKON, they may have felt a sense of responsibility after receiving criticism, even if they did nothing wrong.”
READ MORE: iKON Reveals Her Feelings After BI Left The Team, Bobby Opens Up About Premarital Pregnancy
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
