Wanna One Reunites with Fans Amid Rainy Weather, Expresses Gratitude and Hopes for Indoor Meetings

Ong Seong-wu of Wanna One expressed his apologies to fans who waited in the rain, hoping for future meetings to be held indoors.

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 Kang Daniel, who is serving in the military, and Lai Kuan-lin, who is overseas, were absent. However, 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 a.m. 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.

Wanna One, an 11-member boy group formed through Mnet's 'Produce 101 Season 2' in 2017, officially ended activities in January 2019. The news of their reunion after seven years heightened anticipation for the reality show. Despite the rain that began on the night of the 9th and continued through the event day, fans showed unwavering affection for Wanna One. Those who waited overnight greeted the members with bright smiles, showing no signs of fatigue.

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, fans waited patiently in excitement.

When asked to express their reunion with Wannables in five words, Yoon Ji-sung said, "I missed you," Lee Dae-hwi said, "It's been too long," Ong Seong-wu said, "Hello Wannables," Park Ji-hoon and Bae Jin-young said, "So glad to see you," Ha Sung-woon said, "So happy," Kim Jae-hwan said, "It will last forever," Park Woo-jin said, "My heart is racing," and Hwang Min-hyun said, "All our Wannadu," heating up the atmosphere.

Park Woo-jin remarked, "It feels like just a blink since our last concert, yet years have passed. It's unbelievable to gather like this again. It would have been perfect without the rain, but even this rain has become a memory. Thank you for coming despite the weather and weekday. Let's continue to create fun times together."

Kim Jae-hwan shared, "I was worried about the turnout in such weather, but so many joined us. Thank you. I hope today marks the beginning of more happy times together, not the end. Let's walk together towards eternity. Always be with us on that path. I love you."

Ha Sung-woon also expressed, "It's like a dream to see Wanna One together again. I came hoping to see Wannables in person. Thank you for waiting so long and coming despite the rainy Monday. Thanks to Wannables, Wanna One could reunite. I'm so happy and look forward to the future. Let's gather again."

Ong Seong-wu said, "I'm so happy to meet the members and Wannables after a long time," but added, "I'm sorry for those who endured the weather outdoors. I hope our next meeting will be indoors, in a more comfortable setting." Wannables expressed anticipation for a concert. Wanna One concluded their activities with a concert in January 2019.

To commemorate the launch of 'Wanna One Go', a 'ribbon-cutting ceremony' was held, wishing for a new beginning, success, and eternal happiness for Wanna One and Wannables. The members expressed excitement, saying, "This is our first time doing this."

'WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base' will premiere on Mnet Plus at 6 p.m. on the 28th, and will also air on Mnet at 8 p.m. the same day.

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