Lee Sang-won and Lee Rio, who are from the ‘Big Hit Debut Team’, appeared on ‘Boys Planet 2’ and confessed their feelings when their debut was canceled at their previous agency.
On the 17th, the first broadcast of Mnet’s ‘Boys Planet K’ took place. This season, participants are divided into two teams, Planet K and Planet C, and only those who prove their worth will qualify to continue the debut competition on ‘Boys Planet’.
The broadcast featured the first meeting of the Planet K participants. Among them, when Lee Sang-won and Lee Rio from Grid appeared, the participants began to buzz with excitement.
The two are known as members of the debut team ‘Trainee A’, which was showcased by Big Hit Music, a label under HYBE that produced groups like BTS and Tomorrow X Together.
In 2021, Big Hit Music revealed the next boy group debut team under the name ‘Trainee A’, garnering intense interest from global K-POP fans. Trainee A promoted through YouTube and social media at the time, but ultimately their debut was canceled.
During the broadcast of ‘Boys Planet K’, curiosity and interest in the two were abundant. During the preliminary auditions, the production team asked about the cancellation of their debut, and Lee Sang-won revealed, “There were various circumstances, and I also left the agency at that time, so I couldn’t debut. Honestly, at that time, I didn’t want to do it anymore. I really wanted to give up being an idol and wanted to quit.”
He added, “I think it was a time when I was working part-time at a café and contemplating my future.”
Lee Sang-won mentioned that Lee Rio, who had also been with Trainee A, suggested they participate in ‘Boys Planet’ together to debut, saying, “When Rio-hyung suggested it, I thought, ‘He still wants to debut with me.’ I think both of us have some regrets about not being able to work together as teammates.”
The two performed a prepared stage in front of the masters and received the ‘All-Star’ rank amidst the masters' high praise. Master Lee Seok-hoon said, “We were worried because we couldn’t find someone to sing the chorus, but Rio came out,” and praised Lee Sang-won as “a really good vocalist.”
Dance master Kinky also praised their singing and mentioned that they danced well, advising them to “regain more smiles and enjoy the stage more.”
In the real-time voting revealed at the end of the broadcast, Lee Sang-won ranked first, and Lee Rio ranked fifth, proving their popularity.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
