When they were still a pre-debut team, Weeekly was called Play M Girls, and the lineup consists of not only seven trainees. There were other trainees set to debut in Play M Entertainment's new girl group, however, they left the company. One of those who left is Park Soyeon, who is known as a former "Produce 101" contestant. Curious to know where she is now? Then, read on!
Former 'Produce 101' Contestant Park Soyeon's Pre-Debut Story
Park Soyeon initially appeared as a contestant on "K-pop Star 2." During her time in the competition show, she was part of the YouU unit. The said unit made it to the top 10 but was eliminated in episode 13.
In 2016, she was one of the participants in Mnet's "Produce 101" (Season 1), representing Play M Entertainment (which was called LOEN Entertainment at that time). She managed to make it to the final episode of the survival show, but she only ranked 18th, thus, she was unable to debut as a member of I.O.I.
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One month after the conclusion of "Produce 101," LOEN Entertainment announced that Park Soyeon will debut in the company's upcoming girl group temporarily called LOEN Girls (which was then called FAVE Girls, and later Play M Girls). The debut was planned to take place sometime in 2017.
While waiting for her debut, Soyeon auditioned for another survival show, particularly YG Entertainment's "MIXNINE." However, she wasn't chosen to compete.
However, 2017 and 2018 came but no new girl group debuted under LOEN Entertainment. It was then revealed on Sept. 1, 2018 that Park Soyeon will leave the agency along with her co-trainees Lee Soomin and Kim Bowon.
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LOEN explained that the aforementioned trainees had continued in-depth discussions with the company about their future activities due to their personal issues concerning their musical direction and health concerns. After much deliberation, Park, Lee, and Kim decided to terminate their trainee contracts on Aug. 31.
Along with the announcement, the label attached a handwritten letter by Park Soyeon (and Lee Soomin) where she mentioned the reason for parting ways with LOEN and her gratitude to fans.
The former "Produce 101" contestant said that she began to worry about her musical direction, and ultimately ended things after talking with the agency. She then thanked fans for their continuous support and promised to see them again in the future.
Where Is Park Soyeon Now? Status of Former 'Produce 101' Contestant Who Almost Debuted in Weeekly
At present, supposed Weeekly member Park Soyeon is a solo artist under Gachi Entertainment, which has been her management company since November 2020. She is believed to be the only artist signed with the said label.
One month after joining Gachi Entertainment, the former "Produce 101" contestant made her solo debut back on Dec. 1, 2020 with the single "Flower."
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On July 2, 2021, Soyeon made her first comeback with a new single, entitled "Beautiful Night." A music video for the track was released on the same day.
In addition to releasing songs, the K-pop soloist also creates video content that she uploads to her personal YouTube channel, which she created back in October 2019. However, she seems to be not too active in posting videos as her last upload was six months ago.
But Park Soyeon regularly updates her Instagram account. She often uploads photos of her hanging out with her friends.
Check out Soyeon's "Beautiful Night" music video here!
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Written by Maria Scott
