Wanna One Reunites After 7 Years and Fans Are Losing It

Seven years is a long time to wait. But for fans of Wanna One — the 11-member K-pop group assembled through Mnet's survival competition "Produce 101 Season 2" in 2017 — that wait came to an emotional end this month. The group officially reunited for the opening ceremony of their new reality show, "WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base," drawing thousands of devoted supporters who had gathered outside the Seoul venue starting the night before, some standing through rain in the early morning hours, to witness what many described as a once-in-a-generation moment.

The reaction online was immediate and overwhelming. "Feels like we went back in time," wrote one fan on Korean community site theqoo, a sentiment echoed across international social media platforms where clips and photos from the gathering spread rapidly. For a group that technically existed for only about a year and a half, Wanna One's hold on its fanbase has proven remarkably durable — and the reunion proves that the connection between the 11 members and their loyal WANNABLES was never really broken.

How Wanna One Became a K-Pop Phenomenon

Wanna One was never designed to be a permanent act. Formed through public voting on "Produce 101 Season 2" in the summer of 2017, the group debuted almost immediately after the show ended, landing at number one almost instantly and setting off a commercial frenzy that would come to define late 2010s K-pop.

Hits like "Energetic," "Beautiful," and the iconic fan-vote anthem "Pick Me" — the song that soundtracked the entire competition — became generational touchstones. The group toured internationally, sold out arenas, moved enormous volumes of physical albums, and racked up streaming numbers that many permanent groups could only envy. They did all of this in roughly 18 months before their contract expired in January 2019.

After disbandment, the 11 members scattered. Park Ji-hoon built a flourishing acting career, most recently starring in the blockbuster film "The King's Man." Ha Sung-woon became a successful solo singer. Hwang Min-hyun joined NU'EST before pursuing solo work. Kang Daniel launched one of the more prominent post-group solo careers in recent K-pop history. Ong Seong-wu moved into acting. Each carved out his own path — but the question of whether Wanna One would ever return together was one that fans never stopped asking.

The Night Fans Waited Through the Rain

The opening ceremony for "WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base" took place in Seoul on April 6, 2026, and the scene outside the venue resembled a major concert more than a television production kickoff. Supporters began assembling from the previous evening, unwilling to risk missing the moment they had anticipated for years. The crowd reportedly grew large enough to affect traffic in the surrounding streets.

When the members finally appeared on stage, they performed "Pick Me" — a gesture that felt both symbolic and inevitable. The song that had launched everything in 2017 now served as the reunion's emotional anchor, connecting the present moment directly back to where the story began. Fan accounts described the crowd's reaction as electric, with tears and cheers mixing in the way that only truly meaningful moments produce.

Park Ji-hoon spoke candidly about reuniting with his fellow members. "The moment we met again, we laughed so hard — I almost couldn't stop," he told media. "I really missed everyone, and I wanted to show fans something good." He added that the anxieties he had before seeing his bandmates again dissolved almost the instant they were all in the same room together. He also remarked that the experience of working together felt both familiar and brand new, the years apart having added a new layer of appreciation to friendships already forged under extraordinary circumstances.

The group also recreated a selfie originally taken nine years ago — a throwback gesture that spread instantly across fan communities, with side-by-side comparisons generating enormous engagement and waves of nostalgic commentary. Fans were quick to note that Yoon Ji-sung appeared to have undergone a striking transformation, with observers calling out a notable "glow up."

Back to Base: What the New Reality Show Looks Like

"WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base" builds on the concept of the group's original "WANNA ONE GO" reality series, which during their active years gave fans intimate access to the group's daily dynamics, off-stage humor, and interpersonal chemistry. The new show assigns each member a personal "base" — a room designed to reflect their individual character within a shared house-style space.

The promotional poster released ahead of the premiere renders the 11 members as illustrated characters, each occupying a distinct room with a different concept. Park Ji-hoon cuddles a teddy bear. Hwang Min-hyun stands with cleaning supplies. Kim Jae-hwan is surrounded by fitness equipment. Bae Jin-young has lined his space with books. The playful visual coding immediately gave fans a shorthand for the show's tone — warm, characterful, full of the interpersonal energy that made the group so watchable during its original run.

The complete 11-member lineup is: Yoon Ji-sung, Ha Sung-woon, Hwang Min-hyun, Ong Seong-wu, Kim Jae-hwan, Park Ji-hoon, Lai Guanlin, Bae Jin-young, Lee Dae-hwi, Park Woo-jin, and Kang Daniel. Kang Daniel is currently serving mandatory military service, and Lai Guanlin is based overseas — both are featured in the show's branding and poster, though they are not expected to appear in all episodes. Their inclusion reflects the group's intention to frame this as a full 11-member reunion in spirit, with scheduling flexibility built in for individual circumstances.

What Comes Next for Wanna One

"WANNA ONE GO: Back to Base" officially premieres on April 28, 2026 at 6 p.m. KST on the Mnet Plus streaming platform, with a simultaneous broadcast on the Mnet cable channel at 8 p.m. The show is structured to run across multiple episodes, giving fans extended access to the group's dynamic rather than a single reunion special.

Adding to the reunion momentum, Kim Jae-hwan — one of Wanna One's standout vocalists who has sustained a successful solo career since the group's disbandment — was reported to be preparing a new solo release timed close to the show's premiere, giving fans multiple reasons to stay engaged with the Wanna One universe during the spring season.

Fan communities have already been active in preparing streaming parties, voting campaigns for the show's promotion, and digital restreaming efforts for the group's older catalog — a sign that the decade-long investment WANNABLES have made in this group remains very much alive.

Seven years after Wanna One said goodbye, the group is proving something their fans always believed: the bond between all 11 members, and between the group and the people who loved them, was never really broken. It was only waiting for the right moment to begin again.