Former stars from Mnet’s Produce 101 Season 1 are drawing public attention for their dramatically different life paths. Nearly 10 years after the show aired, some have returned to the spotlight through glamorous reunions, while others have stepped away from entertainment to embrace ordinary lives.
On June 16, Kwon Eun Bin shared a lengthy post on her personal account, officially announcing her retirement from the entertainment industry.
After gaining recognition through Produce 101 Season 1, Kwon Eun Bin did not make the final debut lineup but later returned to the group CLC and continued her career as a singer. Following the group’s disbandment in 2022, she transitioned into acting, appearing in dramas such as Bad Papa and Dear.M.
However, she revealed that she has decided to end her 10-year entertainment career and pursue the life of an ordinary person. Having entered the industry as a teenager, she explained that concerns about her future gradually deepened, ultimately leading her to choose a different path.
Reflecting on her years in entertainment, Kwon Eun Bin candidly shared, “Rather than passion and love for work, most of my time was spent struggling with emptiness and anxiety about the present and future. I wasted precious time on meaningless experiences that brought me no benefit and relationships that lacked any real substance.”
Meanwhile, updates on fellow Produce 101 Season 1 alum Jung Eun Woo have also recently attracted attention.
After the survival program, Jung Eun Woo debuted with girl group PRISTIN, but the group disbanded after only about two years. Since leaving entertainment, she has started a new chapter as a counseling manager at a plastic surgery clinic.
Speaking openly on her personal account, Jung Eun Woo said, “To make a living, you have to do something. So I decided to become a manager at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam. It’s probably easier than becoming a successful idol.” Her realistic yet confident outlook earned praise and support from netizens.
Appearing on the YouTube channel 1ma2c on June 13, she also firmly ruled out a return to entertainment. “I have no lingering attachment to the industry. Singing is best when I’m alone in the bathroom,” she joked, adding, “I’m focused on living my second life now, so I have no regrets.”
The contrasting updates from the two former contestants have attracted even more attention because fellow Produce 101 group I.O.I recently made a successful reunion.
In May, I.O.I reunited after nearly nine years, releasing their third mini album I.O.I: LOOP and title track Suddenly. The comeback quickly topped music charts, proving the group’s lasting popularity and dedicated fandom.
Even Jung Eun Woo admitted feeling bittersweet after seeing the reunion. “Watching my friends reunite after 10 years makes me feel a little regretful,” she said, though she emphasized that she has no regrets about her own life choices.
A decade after chasing the same dream as trainees, these former contestants are now living completely different lives.
As Kwon Eun Bin and Jung Eun Woo step away from celebrity life to build new careers outside entertainment, netizens have shown support, commenting, “It can’t be easy for former celebrities to start completely different jobs,” and “We sincerely support the next chapter of their lives.”
Sources: Daum
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