Rumor has it that former Produce 48 contestant Heo Yunjin will also be in the upcoming HYBE Labels x Source Music girl group.
When she competed on the show back in 2018, she impressed audiences with her visuals and vocals, both of which were considered stunning. She auditioned alongside Lee Gaeun with a cover of Camila Cabello’s “Havana.”
She went on to center performances of AKB48’s “High Tension” and Girls Generation’s “Into the New World.” Unfortunately, she left the show in episode 11, when she placed 26th during the third ranking announcement. She then returned to trainee status at Pledis Entertainment, the agency she represented.
Insiders say Heo Yunjin recently moved to Source Music, which would’ve been easy since both are under the HYBE Labels umbrella now. Together with former IZ*ONE members Kim Chaewon and Miyawaki Sakura, she’s set to debut in the new girl group. A third as-yet unnamed IZ*ONE alum is still in talks with HYBE and Source Music (sources say it’s Kim Minju). The new girl group will reportedly have six members, so the last two may come from Source Music’s training pool.
In response to the rumors, HYBE reiterated its official position—which is that they can’t confirm or deny anything at this time.
“We cannot verify information regarding trainee Heo Yunjin’s contract, nor can we discuss her personal debut preparation process. We ask for your understanding,” said the agency in a statement.
