Once dubbed as an "SM legendary trainee," many were surprised that Ji Hansol didn't make his much-awaited debut in NCT. Where is he now?
In 2013, SM Entertainment introduced a new set of members for its pre-debut group, SM ROOKIES. Ji Hansol, who was included in the lineup, immediately garnered attention for his jaw-dropping dance skills and visuals.
Even before he debuted in NCT, he made his name as a trainee who had cameos for various top stars' music videos, such as NCT's "Switch" and J-Min's "Shine." He also worked as a backup dancer for SHINee Taemin and EXO Lay.
But in 2017, his debut in NCT didn't happen when he left the agency for unknown reasons. In the same year, he joined J-Flo Ent and participated in the idol rebooting show, "The Unit."
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In the middle of the show, J-FLO revealed that their company will debut its new boy group Newkidd and their promotion will start with a sub-unit drop that includes Hansol in the lineup.
In 2018, The Unit confirmed its debut lineup which includes Ji Hansol, and announced the debut of UNB. The group's popularity was on the rise, but they sadly parted ways the following year.
He returned to Newkidd in April 2019, but due to a lack of management, the members ended up being overworked, which also resulted in Ji Hansol's health problems.
The team continued to be on the lay-low but in 2021, Hansol served the military early and was discharged in 2022.
In January 2024, after about two years, he subtly announced his departure from Newkidd, his student stating that Hansol has no plans to return to the idol community.
He is currently based in Melbourne, Australia, and plans to settle down here as a dance instructor. There is no solid proof that he's still close with NCT members, but he was sometimes caught playing the group's songs.
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