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Mnet officially revealed the profiles of all the 95 Boys Planet contestants through the participants' first performance, Here I Am. As fans enjoyed the exciting performance, they also spotted quite a few familiar faces among several fresh contestants, which created mixed feelings among the viewers.
As the male version of Mnet's previous survival show, Girls Planet 999, Boys Planet is one of the most awaited releases, especially given the many speculations surrounding its participants. With the list of contestants finally being revealed, some rumors were debunked, while others surprisingly turned out to be true. Here's a list of all the known faces from Boys Planet that popped up in disbanded groups, as trainees, and even in active K-pop groups.
15 familiar faces that popped up as Boys Planet contestants
1) Hui from Pentagon
One of the most speculated rumors regarding the Boys Planet contestants revolved around Pentagon's Hui. To most fans' disbelief, his participation is very much true. Hui is almost thirty and has already established himself as a successful K-pop idol, so him participating in a survival show to debut in another group confused many fans.
Given that he's a singer and songwriter with a lot of experience in the field to qualify him as a judge or a mentor for the show, fans have grown curious and worried. While they are seeking to find out the reason behind Hui's participation, fans are also eager to know what's to become of the legendary K-pop group Pentagon.
2) Jay Chang from M.O.N.T Arena & FM Camp
FM Entertainment's trainee and a member of the pre-debut group M.O.N.T Arena, Jay Chang has also been spotted among the Boys Planet contestants. As is the case, fans rejoiced to see the American singer and lyricist finally embark on his debut. Though the idol previously released a digital single called Is You on November 23, 2020, fans are intrigued to see more of his dimensions as an idol onscreen.
3) Woonggi from TO1
Woonggi is one of the two members of TO1, a group that was formed through Mnet's 2019 survival show To Be World Klass, who was found among the crowd of Boys Planet contestants. Though the idol left the group on June 17, 2022, fans loved watching the K-pop band during the promotions of their first mini-album, Reason For Being: Benevolence. Fans who missed seeing Woonggi onstage after his departure were happy to see him aiming for another debut.
4) Jerome from TO1
Another former member of TO1, Jerome, who left the group along with Woonggi, is also a part of the Boys Planet contestants. The idol showcased many of his show-stopping talents during his time as a contestant in To Be World Klass, ranking in eighth place. While fans are excited to see him onscreen again, fans are also worried about the endless cycle of survival shows that some idols undergo.
5) Keita from Ciipher
Keita is the Japanese rapper and songwriter of Ciipher, formed under Rain Company, and made a reappearance by popping up among the Boys Planet contestants. He was also a participant in a previously held survival show in 2019 called YG Treasure Box but was eliminated in the second last episode.
He later debuted under Ciipher in 2021 with their first mini-album, I Like You. While the members have been quite active this year with the release of The Code, Keita's participation in Boys Planet also spews questions.
6) Seowon from NINE.i
Member of the ten-member K-pop group NINE.i, Seowon is another familiar face among the Boys Planet contestants. As a former participant of Dancing High, fans witnessed his impeccable dance moves multiple times during the show. With the release of their first mini-album, NEW WORLD, in March 2022, his captivating charisma only fueled fans' love for him. As he embarks on his new journey with Boys Planet, fans are looking forward to seeing more of him.
7) Jiho from NINE.i
Another NINE.i member, Jiho is also seated among the Boys Planet contestants. The rapper and maknae of the group is also a former trainee under JYP Entertainment for almost two and a half years. The idol had the longest trainee period among his fellow members, and his reappearance as a Boys Planet trainee concerns fans, given that Jiho is only eighteen years old.
8) Xiao from UP10TION
Another shock-value idol sitting among the Boys Planet contestants is Xiao from the veteran K-pop group UP10TION. The idol, who debuted back in 2015 with their mini-album Top Secrets, surprised fans by making a reappearance as a survival show contestant. Since the group has been consistently active with a recent album titled Code Name: Arrow in October 2022, fans dwell on Xiao's sudden shift to participate in a survival show.
9) Hwanhee from UP10TION
To further fuel fans' worries and confusion, Hwanhee, another maknae from UP10TION, has also been spotted among the Boys Planet contestants. As the vocalist of the group, the idol is known for his OST releases such as Oh! Ready! and Flower. While fans are trying to find answers for what's to happen with UP10TION, they are also quite excited to see Hwanhee showcase his mesmerizing vocals onscreen.
10) Echan from I-LAND
A former I-LAND participant, Echan, aka Jaebeom, is another known face among the crowd of Boys Planet contestants. Though he was eliminated on the seventh episode of the show, the idol signed a solo contract under HYPLE Entertainment as a singer-songwriter and producer in 2022. Following that, he also released his first digital single, Eternal Summer, in June, setting quite high expectations for his time on Boys Planet, given his warm vocals.
11) Lee Ye-dam from LOUD
In 2021, Lee Ye-dam participated in the SBS audition show LOUD, and from then on, he received a lot of attention. He was offered casting offers from both P Nation and JYP Entertainment before finally signing up with P Nation. After his elimination from the survival show during the seventh episode, fans weren't able to see much of him. However, with his reappearance among the Boys Planet contestants, fans are intrigued to see him on screen again.
12) Haruto from LOUD
Another LOUD contestant, Maeda Haruto has been spotted among the Boys Planet contestants. While he was eliminated from the audition show in the fourth round, he has signed a contract under WAKEONE, continuing activities as a Japanese singer and dancer.
13) Iinuma Anthonny from Produce 101 Japan sason 2
The Filipino-Japanese contestant in the second season of the reality survival show Produce 101 Japan is yet another known face among several other Boys Planet contestants. Iinuma, who's also known as Anchan, showcased his mesmerizing vocals in his promotional video with the song Himawari no Yakusoku by Hata Motohiro. Given the high expectations, fans are excited to hear his vocals again on Boys Planet.
14) Choi Seung-hun (Korean child actor)
A participant who many fans couldn't recognize at first glance, Choi Seung-hun, the Korean child actor who popped up in several famous K-dramas, also sat among the Boys Planet contestants.
The fourteen-year-old actor has co-starred in shows such as Youth of May, Lovers of the Red Sky, Legal High, Switch, Korean Odyssey, Strong Girl Bong-soon, The K2, and many more. Since fans have never seen the K-pop idol side of him, they are quite intrigued to see what he has in store for them.
15) Kim Ji-woong from INX
Another famous face in the industry who was spotted among the Boys Planet contestants is Jiwoong. The singer made his debut in the K-pop boy group INX in August 2016. He's also quite well-known for his role as an actor starring in many BL dramas like Kissable Lips, The Sweet Blood, Roommates of Poongduck 304, etc.
Given that this is the first time Mnet has placed no restrictions on their applicants, a diverse and unexpected list of trainees are seen as Boys Planet contestants. While the participation of some known idols felt reasonable, fans are also confused about successfully pre-established K-pop idols undergoing a survival show all over again.
