iKON Opens Up About BI's Departure for the First Time: 'We Suddenly Felt Like Strangers'
Three years since B.I left iKON, his former co-members recalled their pains after the unfortunate news for the first time in a public broadcast.
On Sept. 3rd, iKON members Bobby, Koo Junhoe, and Kim Donghyuk appeared as special guests on Channel A's entertainment program, "Oh Eun Young's Golden Clinic."
During this broadcast, the members finally opened up about their true feelings about B.I., their former leader who left the team in 2019 due to illegal drug use accusations.
After remaining tight-lipped about it all these years, the three confessed to having anxiety when their former leader left. When Dr. Oh asked them to reveal what was making them anxious, Kim replied:
"I don't know. It's been 8 years since our debut, and I've lived with the members for over 10 years. I was overwhelmed when I debuted, and I tasted joy when I briefly reached the top, but now the members are all anxious."
Dr. Oh called this "vague anxiety" and asked the trio to narrate their hardest time as iKON. Donghyuk found his courage before speaking and narrated:
"To be honest, when B.I left the team and we became a group of six, I was dumbfounded because we didn't have a leader. There were a lot of things my hyung did, but I think none of the members went out at all during that time."
ALSO READ: Former iKON B.I Memorable Moments While In The Group
Junhoe also confessed:
"It was both regrettable and difficult. We were a team since we were trainees, and no one had ever left. We were doing well, so when one of us suddenly left, it didn't feel real rather than sad. When he said, 'I'm leaving,' we suddenly felt a little bit like strangers."
Bobby also shared his sentiments, adding:
"I didn't even think, 'What do I do now?'. He just disappeared, I think I lived for a few months with that thought. I felt bitter about the absence of a person I had lived with because a friend I had been with for years suddenly disappeared."
At that time, Bobby thought that iKON would be over and fail without B.I., implying the big hole that he left to the team.
"When the leader who had such a big role in the team and was the pillar who took care of so many things was gone, I thought, 'Is this the end of iKON?' and I remember even telling the members, 'iKON will fail without B.I.'"
Junhoe also stated how they stopped doing any public content, especially for popular and national broadcasts.
After hearing the members' stories, Dr. Oh Eun Young diagnosed:
"(The members' withdrawal) seems like an understatement, and it seems like a complete shock. No matter what the situation, the clear fact is that it wasn't the three of them's fault. However, since the group is united as iKON, they may have felt a sense of responsibility after receiving criticism, even though they did nothing wrong."
READ MORE: iKON Reveals Feelings After BI Left Team, Bobby Opens Up on Pre-Marital Pregnancy
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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
