Wanna One Reunites After 7 Years: A Heartwarming Fan Meeting in Seoul

Wanna One, minus Kang Daniel who is currently serving in the military and Lai Kuan-lin who is reportedly overseas, reunited with fans for the first time in seven years.

On the morning of the 9th, a mini fan meeting was held at DMC Cultural Park in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ahead of the reality show 'WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base'. Members Park Ji-hoon, Lee Dae-hwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Yoon Ji-sung, Hwang Min-hyun, Bae Jin-young, and Ha Sung-woon graced the stage.

Mnet officially announced the event for 10 AM on Monday, but fans began lining up in Sangam-dong the day before, as reported on social media. The event was free, allowing any Wanna One fan to attend, with early arrivals securing closer views of the members.

Formed through Mnet's 'Produce 101 Season 2' in 2017, Wanna One was an 11-member boy group that officially disbanded in January 2019. The news of their reunion after seven years heightened anticipation for the upcoming reality show. Despite the rain that began on the night of the 9th and continued through the event day, fans showed unwavering love for Wanna One. Those who waited overnight greeted the members with bright smiles, undeterred by the weather.

The members appeared in school uniforms reminiscent of their 'Produce 101 Season 2' days, warmly greeting fans. Although the event was delayed by about 20 minutes due to rain, starting around 10:20 AM, fans waited patiently in excitement.

They performed a 2026 version of the 2017 'Produce 101 Season 2' opening song 'Pick Me'. After a brief dance, the members amusingly remarked, "Our bodies remember," while Ong Seong-wu, now in his 30s, humorously admitted, "It's tiring to do this after so long."

When asked which member they missed the most, all members unanimously expressed, "We missed everyone too much," unable to single out one person. The nine members then shared a group hug, creating a heartwarming atmosphere.

The event also featured a segment where members imitated Park Ji-hoon's famous line from the film 'The Man Living in the Palace', where he played the role of Danjong. Each member delivered the line "Are you mocking the royal family?" with their unique flair, delighting fans. Given that many members are active in both singing and acting, their performances were seamless and natural. When Park Ji-hoon delivered the line himself, fans responded with, "The original is the best."

In a Q&A session, members were asked to pick someone they wanted to compliment and perform a 'princess carry'. Kim Jae-hwan chose Park Ji-hoon, who had just delivered the line "You rascal". Despite his confidence from recent workouts, Kim Jae-hwan humorously failed the 'princess carry', prompting laughter. Another member cleverly remarked, "The weight of a king," to lighten the mood.

'WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base' will premiere on Mnet Plus at 6 PM on the 28th, with a broadcast on Mnet at 8 PM the same day.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr