Prospective Member of NewJeans' Brother Group Revealed: 'Looking forward, but...'

In an online community, an ADOR trainee who's preparing to debut in NewJeans' brother group gained various reactions from K-netizens and K-pop fans. Here's why.

On March 1, a new K-pop trainee under HYBE's subsidiary label became a hot topic in the online forum Instiz after a netter shared his photos and profile.

While many are showing anticipation, he raised brows from K-netz for THESE reasons.

New ADOR Trainee Revealed — Will He Debut in NewJeans' Brother Group?

In the post, the OP wrote an article titled, "One ADOR trainee was revealed" along with attached photos posted by his friends.

In the photos, the original uploader who was presumably the trainee's friend congratulated him for passing the final round and becoming an official ADOR trainee.

The said trainee's visuals then drew attention, as well as the provided initial information about him.

Based on the posts, the trainee is named Im Jiwoo, a Chinese from Harbin, China. He is 183 cm tall and is known for specializing in vocals and dance. There are claims that he also trained under Yuehua Entertainment before entering ADOR.

Apparently, he is preparing to debut in the brother boy group of NewJeans, the second team that will come in the label after the girl group.

Trainee Jiwoo Draws Mixed Reaction from K-Netizens After Speculations He Will Debut in ADOR's New Boy Group

Following speculations that he is a prospective member of ADOR's upcoming boy group, there are fans who showed high anticipation. Looking at him, he has a pure and innocent charm that is similar to NewJeans and is perfect for the label.

In his audition clips, Jiwoo also impressed fans with his dance and singing skills.

However, seeing his photos and profile, fans raised their brows for two reasons and expressed why they were frustrated.

First, some were reluctant of him to join the boy group because he's Chinese. A lot of voices were also confused about his name which sounds a lot like a Korean name.

• "But HYBE doesn't debut Chinese trainees, right?"
• "Of all the Chinese names that I've seen, his name sounds the most Korean."
• "The name Jiwoo is also used in China?"
• "We will find out after they debut, but I hope there will be no Chinese among male idols anymore."

Another reason was due to his visuals.

• "I was looking forward to it, but..."
• "Is it true that ADOR focuses on singing and skills rather than the face?"
• "Wait, he's not on the debuting team yet, he just passed the audition."
• "They recruit a lot of trainees and filter them, so why is he..."

Earlier in March 2023, ADOR announced that the selection process for its pre-debut group, "The Real Hype Boys" has started.

From March 28 to April 13 last year, the label selected trainees born from 2004 to 2012. Currently, the unnamed group is in its planning stage and it is still unsure if they will debut this 2024.

READ MORE: NewJeans Facing Backlash Over Drastic Weight Gain: 'They should slim down...'

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Written by Eunice Dawson.