Wanna One (워너원) remains one of the biggest boy groups in K-pop despite disbanding in 2019, following the end of their contract. After a brief reunion in 2021, fans continued hoping that the group would reunite once again and return to the stage.
Recently, singer and Wanna One member Ha Sung Woon (하성운) appeared on the YouTube series “Kstars Next Door” with INFINITE (인피니트) member Nam Woo Hyun (남우현). During the show, Wanna One came into the subject, prompting host Jonathan to ask Ha Sung Woon about a potential group comeback. The social media personality asked, “Since we’re on the topic of Wanna One, when can we expect a Wanna One reunion? Can we get an update on this?”.
In response to the question, Ha Sung Woon replied, “Do you want me to be honest? On a scale of ten steps, I don’t think we’ve even taken a step towards a reunion.” The 31-year-old explained, “The reason is that someone enlists in the military whenever we try to do something. When one person is discharged, another person enlists. And we also have members acting so they don’t focus on this.”
Ha Sung Woon also noted that each member of Wanna One is busy with their activities, so there are no set plans for a group comeback. Understandably, the singer’s comment received mixed responses. Some fans lamented that the idol used his former groupmates’ acting careers to dismiss the possibility of a group comeback. However, others defended the comment, saying it’s a realistic answer without giving fans false hope of a reunion.
After their group contract expired, the members of Wanna One pursued individual activities, including solo careers in singing and acting. However, members Ong Seong Wu (옹성우) and Park Ji Hoon (박지훈) focused on acting, with the latter recently starring in Netflix’s “Weak Hero”. Meanwhile, member Lai Kuan Lin (賴冠霖/라이관린) announced his retirement from the entertainment industry last year to focus on film directing.
While it doesn’t seem that a Wanna One comeback is possible, fans are still holding on to a sliver of hope that it could happen in the future. In the meantime, watch the group’s last group performance from the 2021 MAMA Awards and Ha Sung Woon’s appearance on “Neighbourhood Star K” below:
