Two “I-LAND” Trainees Are Finally Debuting, Here’s What You Need To Know About Them

Nine months after their eliminations, two former survival show contestants are finally making their debuts!

Last year, 23 talented trainees competed to debut in BELIFT Lab‘s first boy group, ENHYPEN. As the Top 7 contestants, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Jungwon, and Ni-ki claimed the available seven spots. They debuted last November.

Four more former contestants, K, Nicholas, EJ, and Ta-ki are now part of an upcoming J-Pop boy group under HYBE Labels Japan. Kyungmin was originally expected to debut with the group, but he parted ways with BELIFT Lab at the end of May.

After leaving BELIFT Lab, Hanbin officially signed with Yuehua Entertainment and is expected to debut under his new label. But what about the remaining contestants?

Good news, I-LAND lovers! Jimin (who now goes by JM) and Geonu will debut together on June 30. JUST B, the first group under Bluedot Entertainment, consists of six members, including these former I-LAND trainees.

Prior to joining I-LAND, JM trained for 11 months. In the first episode of I-LAND, he performed Monsta X‘s “Shoot Out” with Sungchul and Jaebeom but was unable to enter I-LAND (the higher ranking group of trainees). Instead, he joined the Grounders, the lower-ranking group who were ineligible to debut unless they earned spots in the I-LAND group. For seven episodes, JM fought for his spot in ENHYPEN and gained many fans along the way. JM was eliminated from the show at the end of Part 1.

Born on October 11, 2001, JM is now 19 years old. He is expected to become one of JUST B’s sub-vocalists. According to his I-LAND profile, he is an ENFP (Campaigner) born in the year of the snake. He enjoys running and snacking on the ever-controversial mint chocolate ice cream. JM once said that if he were a wizard, he would use his magic powers to make money.

Geonu was the first I-LAND member revealed, and he became one of the most beloved contestants on the show. What some I-LAND fans might not know is that Geonu competed in another survival show in 2018, Dancing High. He trained for 1 year and 4 months before joining I-LAND, and he released several predebut dance covers to songs by BTS, NCT, and more.

In Episode 1 of I-LAND, Geonu successfully entered the I-LAND after performing VIXX‘s “Chained Up” with Kyungmin and Jaeho. In Episode 7, Geonu was able to move onto Part 2 of the show, becoming one of the final 12 contestants. Many fans who had hoped Geonu would debut as ENHYPEN’s main vocalist were shocked by Geonu’s elimination. Although he ranked second-last in Episode 8, he was sent home because Ta-ki, who ranked last, could not be eliminated. Ta-ki’s unit had won a challenge, earning him immunity.

Now, two survival shows later, Geonu is finally getting his chance to shine! Born on February 2, 2001, this 20-year-old vocalist is the oldest JUST B member, and he is expected to be JUST B’s Lead Vocalist. Geonu is an ENTP (The Debater), born in the year of the snake. He described himself as having a “soft” personality in his I-LAND applicant profile. He once said that if he were to be cast as the main character in a movie, he would be Katniss from The Hunger Games. 

Find out more about JUST B here:

Everything You Need To Know About JUST B, The First Group From Bluedot Entertainment