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"I was filming a drama when a variety show writer called me. They were planning a new program and asked if I could reach out to potential members."
Yoon Ji-sung shared this story during an interview at a café in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The former leader of Wanna One and now an active actor, Yoon Ji-sung, recently appeared on Kim Hee-chul's YouTube content 'Chuka Chuka Chu' on the 11th of last month. The show featured a rare combination of Yoon Ji-sung and Bae Jin-young from Wanna One, along with Yoo Yeon-jung and Choi Yoo-jung from I.O.I, drawing significant attention from K-pop fans. Yoon Ji-sung played a crucial role in making this special meeting happen.
Yoon Ji-sung, who maintained friendships with I.O.I members, thought of potential members to contact after the call. He admitted, "I'm not the type to reach out first, so it was awkward. I had no choice but to make the calls. It wasn't easy from the start," he said with a laugh. He explained, "Many of our Wanna One members are in the military. Jaehwan and Minhyun are serving, and Daehwi and Woojin are on tour. Sungwoon was busy preparing for an album, so schedules didn't align."
He continued, "I hit a wall with Wanna One members, so I called Yeon-jung, who fortunately already knew the writer and agreed. Yeon-jung then recommended Yoo-jung, whom I also know well. Yoo-jung is great at both singing and rapping." Yoon Ji-sung added, "I thought of Jin-young last." He joked, "I'm not proactive in reaching out, so I probably sighed about 30 times before calling."
"I assumed Jin-young would decline. I didn't think of contacting him initially because he's quite reserved. During our Wanna One days, he might have refused. But time has changed him."
Yoon Ji-sung said, "I was familiar with the I.O.I members, but Jin-young and I had never met. It could be uncomfortable to meet for the first time and suggest singing together." He continued, "I first contacted Daehwi, Woojin, and Sungwoon, but none were available. Eventually, I reached out to Jin-young, not expecting much, but he agreed willingly, which was a pleasant surprise."
"There was no reference for the timing of our shoot. Even while filming the drama, I was preoccupied with this program. I spent 2-3 days glued to my phone, coordinating schedules, setting concepts, and arranging practice sessions. We chose the songs and divided parts ourselves."
He said, "We coordinated schedules and practiced through a group chat. Initially daunting, it became fun as everyone cooperated well." He smiled, "The stand mic format was our idea. We completed the choreography and parts through discussion, and the positive response was gratifying."
"I was struck when Sungwoon couldn't participate. He's talented and close with everyone, making him ideal for the content. His schedule didn't allow it, but we coincidentally met at a 'Boys 2 Planet' taping. Jin-young and I jokingly lamented about it," he recalled with a laugh.
The web show surpassed 500,000 views within a week of release, receiving a warm reception. Yoon Ji-sung said, "I didn't expect this level of response. We made it for our memories, but the unexpected attention was surprising," he said with a bright smile. He added, "Our top priority is our fans. While we love performing and singing, meeting fans up close was paramount."
Yoon Ji-sung reflected, "Everyone was busy. Yeon-jung and Yoo-jung were doing musicals, and Jin-young was preparing for a fan concert. Yet, we all wanted to meet fans more closely, so we squeezed in the schedule and gave it our all. It was a meaningful and precious time."
"During COVID, such close interactions became rare. So it was even more delightful for us and the fans. The writer and PD were thrilled. Nowadays, everyone is busy filming with their phones, but at that event, people put down their phones, waved, shouted, and enjoyed. It's been a while since we all came out of a performance breathless," he laughed.
Yoon Ji-sung revealed, "If the views are good, they promised to call us for season 2. The response exceeded expectations, so we're hopeful for another invitation." He expressed satisfaction, "Looking back at 2025, this will be a happy memory."
Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr