'I'LL-IT' to debut with just five members after Youngseo leaves agency

HYBE's upcoming new girl group, I'LL-IT, will debut with five members instead of the six members it initially planned.

Youngseo was a winning contestant of ″R U NEXT,″ aired from June 30 to Sept. 1 in 2023. She was scheduled to debut with the girl group I'LL-IT but has left its agency. [BELIFT LAB]

HYBE's upcoming new girl group, I'LL-IT, will debut with five members instead of the six members it initially planned.

According to Belift Lab, a subsidiary of HYBE and management company of I'LL-IT, trainee Youngseo left the company, and the group will debut with members Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee and Iroha.

“We have decided to end our exclusive contract with Youngseo after careful talks,” the agency said.

“This decision was made with careful consideration and the mutual consent of the involved parties. We kindly ask you to refrain from any speculation or misunderstandings regarding this matter. We sincerely support Youngseo's future endeavors.”

The six members of I’LL-IT were previously chosen as the winning contestants of the audition program “R U Next,” which ran from June 30 to Sept. 1 in 2023 as a 10-episode audition program coproduced by JTBC, Belift Lab, Mushroom Company and Studio Jamm.

The group’s name, I'LL-IT, is a mashup of the words “I'll” and “it,” meaning that you have the potential to be anything if you have the will to do so.

The girl group's debut date has not been set yet.

To find out more about I’LL-IT, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY LEE CHAE-MIN [lee.chaemin1@joongang.co.kr]