"I-LAND" is widely known as the survival show that formed the seven-member boy group ENHYPEN, which BELIFT LAB currently manages. Among the contestants, Kim Daniel was one of those who were eliminated. Do you want to know where he is now? Then, continue reading!
About Former "I-LAND" Contestant Daniel
Kim Daniel or Kim Dongkyu is a Korean-American idol aspirant that was first revealed to the public on June 1, 2020, as one of the applicants for the reality show "I-LAND" that BELIFT LAB created with the goal of making its first idol group.
Daniel was the youngest contestant in the survival program, having been born on March 26, 2006- which means he was only 14 years old (by international reckoning) at that time.
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Before competing in "I-LAND," Kim Daniel was a trainee under YG Entertainment. He was recruited from Born Star Training Center and passed the audition in May 2019. However, it is uncertain when and why he left the company. But it is said that he had been a trainee for one year before joining "I-LAND," so he probably departed from YG in May 2020 and went on to participate in the reality show one month later.
Kim Daniel's Journey on "I-LAND"
In the first episode of "I-LAND" that aired on Mnet, Kim Daniel performed Zico's "Any Song" with co-contestant EJ for their entry test. The two were given 17 votes out of 22, hence they were able to enter "I-LAND."
In episode 3 of the survival show, he got 70 out of 100 votes after a performance- which was the second highest score. However, he was sent to the "Ground" by I-LANDers' votes, along with Youngbin, Ni-ki, Jay, Jake, and Nicholas. Daniel was the second to be sent after receiving only 11 votes.
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In episode 7, Daniel ranked second based on the global votes and was able to move onto Part 2 of "I-LAND." During the BTS Test, he was in the team that performed "I NEED U." The group got a total of 275 points, putting them in last place. Daniel received 64 individual points for this round, making him rank 10th.
Kim then managed to make it to the final 12 contestants. However, in the last episode, the young trainee was eliminated from the show. Thus, he failed to debut as a member of BELIFT LAB's first boy group, which was later named ENHYPEN.
Where Is Former "I-LAND" Contestant Daniel Now? Here's What We Know
Following the conclusion of Mnet's "I-LAND," fans hardly had an update on Kim Daniel's whereabouts. Nobody knew whether he remained as a trainee under BELIFT LAB or whether he eventually left the agency.
In February 2021, it was revealed that Big Hit Music and Universal Music Group will create a new global boy group. This announcement led to some fans hoping that Kim would transition from BELIFT LAB to Big Hit Music and join the debut lineup.
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However, in May of the same year, one Twitter user alleged that former "I-LAND" contestant Daniel is now a trainee under Pledis Entertainment, which is known to house SEVENTEEN and fromis_9.
Although the company has not confirmed the rumor, Dandelions (Kim Daniel's fan club) can't help but get excited for his potential debut under Pledis.
There was another rumor that surfaced in June 2021, saying that Kim Daniel is a trainee under Brand New Music and would debut this 2022. But then, the company launched its new boy group, YOUNITE, and Daniel was not included in the lineup.
Meanwhile, former "I-LAND" contestant Daniel is taking practical dance classes at Hanlim Arts School and will graduate in 2025.
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Written by Maria Scott
