Lee Joo-won, simply known by her stage name JooE, became a contestant on Mnet's 2016 survival program "Finding Momoland," where a total of 10 trainees from Duble Kick Entertainment competed for the final lineup of girl group MOMOLAND.
Throughout various challenges and obstacles, JooE managed to secure No. 5 in the finale of the show, making her a MOMOLAND member.
This was followed by her debut with MOMOLAND on November 10, 2016, when the group released their first mini album "Welcome to Momoland" and its title track of the same name.
Initially, MOMOLAND was a seven-membered group until 2017, when Daisy and Taeha were added to the lineup. Afterwards, the group released well-loved hits such as "Jjan! Kwoong! Kwang!," "Wonderful Love," and "Freeze!."
With JooE's star power, and talent, she eventually established herself as the stan attractor of MOMOLAND. This was also due to her variety skills, humor, bubbly energy, and stage performances. She also went viral in 2017 for her contagious dance in the EDM version of "Wonderful Love."
This also led JooE to be invited to feature in Tropicana Sparkling's commercial, causing the online community to adoringly consider her as K-pop's "Tropicana Girl."
In 2018, JooE and MOMOLAND saw their breakthrough success with album "Great!" and title track "BBoom BBoom." The release also led them to win several music shows and accolades, as well as debut in Japan and establish a solid following domestically and internationally.
Following the success of "BBoom BBoom," MOMOLAND followed up consecutive bops such as "I'm So Hot," "Thumbs Up," "Ready Or Not," "Starry Night," and "Yummy Yummy Love."
Unfortunately, MOMOLAND's journey was wrapped up on February 14, 2023, when they announced their disbandment. This led the members to go their separate ways, including JooE.
On April 24, 2023, it was announced that JooE would participate in Mnet's survival program "Queendom Puzzle," a spin-off of "Queendom." However, JooE was eliminated during the show's semi-finals, leading her to leave the program.
On December 12, 2023, JooE guested on E Channel's "Playing Sisters." During the episode, JooE shared her thoughts regarding MOMOLAND's disbandment and hinted at an overseas fanmeeting.
"MOMOLAND didn't disband," JooE shared. "Yeah, people think we already disbanded, but this time, we're happy that we can have a fan meeting overseas."
Where Is JooE Now? Here's What We Know
Though MOMOLAND isn't an active group anymore, there are several instances where members expressed their support for one another in their ventures. On May 19, JooE was spotted enjoying a holiday trip in Vietnam with fellow MOMOLAND bandmate Ahin!
See their updates and the reactions of Merries below:
