THIS Former Wanna One Member Quits Being a Celebrity — Who is He?

A former member of Wanna One has decided to retire from being a celebrity.

On June 14, 2024, a post titled "Lai Kuanlin said that he will no longer be a celebrity" was uploaded to TheQoo, one of the most well-known online community forums in South Korea.

The original poster included a screenshot from the former idol's Weibo account. In his statement, he revealed that he will be changing his career path and will no longer be an entertainer. His statement reads,

"After careful consideration, I have decided to shift my career path. Because of my change in career plan, this account will be managed by my team from today onward."

Lai Kuanlin will focus on his career as a movie director following his retirement from entertainment. He has already directed two short films: "Em Chu Em Nie Zi Bo" (translation: "Winter and Spring Are Fighting") and "It's Raining in Beijing." Both films amassed critical acclaim and bagged several awards.

"Em Chu Em Nie Zi Bo" was nominated for "Best Film" at the 2021 Rome Independent Film Awards in Italy. That same year, he won the "Best Director" award at a film competition in June. Meanwhile, "It's Raining in Beijing" won the Special Prize for the Best Short Film at the WSXA International Film Festival in Paris.

While many are supportive of his career change, Chinese netizens believe that the reason for his abrupt career shift is because he was caught dating. Two days before his statement, the young star was photographed by paparazzi hugging his rumored girlfriend on the street. Lai Kuanlin did not respond to the rumors.

Korean netizens commented on their support for Lai Kuanlin. Many former Wanna One fans commented on how long it has been since they heard any updates from the former idol and stated that they were happy seeing him do what he wants to do. They hope Lai Kuanlin lives his life happily.

Others, however, regretted that he did not pursue being a K-pop idol. They stated that during his time in Wanna One, he was extremely passionate about his career as an idol, and blamed CUBE Entertainment for "ruining" his career in South Korea. His last release as a K-pop idol was his unit debut with PENTAGON's Wooseok in 2019.

Some comments read,

• "Kuanlin was so passionate about being an idol, so it's a shame. But I hope he makes a lot of good movies!"
• "I will always support you, maknae."
• "Kuanlin... I support you."
• "Kuanlin will always be my one pick because of how handsome he is. I support you, Kuanlin-ah!"
• "Wow, but he is still so handsome."
• "It's been so long since I heard the news about Kuanlinie. Do everything you want and live your life happily, maknae-yah!"
• "Kuanlin, our maknae... Even if I can't read news about you often, I will always support you. I'm cheering for your new dreams!"
• "Maknae, I will always support you!"
• "I will miss seeing you in dramas, but I support you! Fighting!"
• "Kuanlin-ie... I liked you so much... CUBE is such trash..."

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

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Written by Alexa Lopez