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IZ*ONE's Japanese member Miyawaki Sakura arrived safely in South Korea on August 27. The singer, actress and model is a former member of Japan's first-generation group HKT48 and a talent powerhouse.
Sakura, with another IZ*ONE member, Kim Chaewon, are stealing the limelight since reports of them being recruited for HYBE's upcoming five-member girl group were revealed.
HYBE plans to reveal their first girl group in collaboration with label Source Music. That might be one of the reasons why Sakura is back in South Korea.
Miyawaki Sakura reportedly seen with BTS' security team
According to Korean media outlets, the 23-year-old singer arrived at the Incheon International Airport on August 27 and was reportedly surrounded by HYBE's security team which is usually in charge of BTS.
Regarding the rumors, HYBE's statement to a K-media outlet further raised curiosity. Read their statement below:
"We are unable to confirm anything about Miyawaki Sakura’s arrival in Korea and the BTS security team."
Here's how fans are reacting to her arrival in South Korea:
Is Miyawaki Sakura a part of HYBE's upcoming girl group?
On August 17, reports surfaced about IZ*ONE members Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chaewon being recruited by HYBE.
According to Star News, Kim Chaewon already signed a contract with HYBE in June. In the case of Sakura, her joining date was reportedly getting delayed due to issues between HYBE and her Japanese representatives.
While HYBE hasn't revealed anything yet, Sakura's Japanese representative confirmed the news. They revealed:
"Miyawaki Sakura signed a contract with HYBE Labels and will depart from Japan and head to Korea in August."
There are also reports of one more IZ*ONE member being recruited for the HYBE X Source Music girl group. In addition, the remaining couple of members are reportedly being sourced from Produce 48 contestants.
If all goes well, the girl group will definitely leverage the popularity of already known faces debuting under one of the best companies in the K-pop industry.
Read More: IZ*ONE disbands: Here's what the members could be up to next
