Former Wanna One member Lee Dae Hwi has spoken candidly about the possibility of a Wanna One reunion, expressing both nostalgia and optimism for the group’s future.
On September 22 KST, Lee appeared on Super Junior’s Donghae and Eunhyuk’s YouTube show DNE comment "Hey, Come here", in an episode titled “Everyone back to their places! Lee Dae Hwi’s plan for a Wanna One reunion with Bae Jin Young onboard!”
Reflecting on the group’s formation and disbandment, Lee said, “It was bittersweet from the beginning. We all knew we were heading toward goodbye, and fans didn’t know when they’d see the 11 of us together again.”
He revealed that the members are all still in contact:
“We’re definitely planning on reuniting one day. All 11 of us are on board—100%. Ha Sung Woon is especially enthusiastic, and we’re still active in our group chat. Sung Woon and Hwang Min Hyun are the most vocal. They even help arrange shows and encourage us to meet, which I’m really grateful for.”
However, he acknowledged that military service is the current hurdle:
“Everyone has to finish their service first. The younger line will start serving while the older line will be out by then. That timing will be 2027, which also marks Wanna One’s 10th anniversary.”
He added, “I know it’s a sensitive topic, but sometimes you have to speak things into existence. If we keep saying it, maybe it will happen.”
When Donghae asked if he would agree to the same contractual terms as before, Lee firmly replied, “The reunion isn’t about money. We said we’d come back ‘when the spring wind passes,’ and look how many springs have gone by.”
Regarding former member Lai Kuanlin, who recently declared his retirement from the entertainment industry to pursue directing, Lee expressed surprise and concern:
“I was shocked when I saw the article. I thought, ‘We need to reunite, but he’s retiring?’”
Wanna One was a project boy group formed through Mnet’s 'Produce 101' Season 2 in 2017, consisting of 11 members: Kang Daniel, Park Ji Hoon, Lee Dae Hwi, Kim Jae Hwan, Ong Seong Wu, Park Woo Jin, Lai Kuanlin, Yoon Ji Sung, Hwang Min Hyun, Bae Jin Young, and Ha Sung Woon. The group officially disbanded on January 27, 2019.
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