''Produce 101'' () is a reality competition show created by

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

. It premiered on January 22, 2016, at 22:00 KST and aired every Friday. It is the first season of the South Korean version of the franchise of the same name. The second season premiered on April 7, 2017, this time featuring all male contestants.

Concept and format

''Produce 101'' was a large-scale girl group unit project produced by

CJ ENM CJ ENM Co., Ltd (, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in 1994. CJ ENM was established as a result of the merger of two CJ Group subsidiaries, CJ ENM Entertainment Division, CJ E&M and ...

and

Signal Entertainment Group Signal Entertainment Group Corp. (), founded in 1991, is a South Korean company specializing in the following businesses: show business, media and entertainment content, cosmetics and information technology. History Founded in 1991 as Sign ...

for

. The show was produced in collaboration with 46 entertainment companies from both inside and outside of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. At about four billion won (approximately $3.33 million), it had the second-largest budget out of all Mnet TV programs at the time. The show's concept hinged on audience participation: the viewers got to choose the final group's members, concept, debut song, and name. Out of the 101 contestants, they could select eleven girls to debut. The resulting unit would release their debut extended play under

Stone Music Entertainment Stone Music Entertainment (Hangul: 스톤 뮤직 엔터테인먼트), is a South Korean music distribution company under CJ ENM, as part of a partnership with the music streaming store Genie Music since 2021. It was one of the largest co-publish ...

and promote together for a year. The group would be co-managed by

YMC Entertainment YMC Entertainment () was a South Korean entertainment company established in 2010 by Cho Yoo-myung, the eldest son of trot singer Tae Jin-ah. The company has been formerly home to artists such as Shin Bo-ra, Kassy and Soulights, as well as act ...

. After their contract period ended, the members were allowed to join any girl groups or projects that their agencies were planning.

Promotions and broadcast

On December 17, 2015, 98 out of the 101 contestants were unveiled for the first time on Episode 453 of ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leeteuk ...

'', where they performed the show's theme song " Pick Me". The stage was presented by actor and singer Jang Keun-suk. From December 18 to 25, 2015, the participants were revealed via the official website,

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

, and Naver TV Cast. Each girl was introduced through a written profile, photos, and videos. On January 21, 2016, a production presentation for the show was held at the 63 Convention Center in

Yeouido Yeouido (), also Yohido, is a river island on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance, media, and investment banking district. It is large and has a population of 32,674 . The island is located in the Yeongdeungpo Dis ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. The event was attended by the contestants, the presenter Jang Keun-suk, and the five vocal, dance, and rap mentors, namely

Brown Eyed Girls Brown Eyed Girls (; ) is a South Korean girl group. The group is composed of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Gain (singer), Gain. They debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group with "Come Closer (다가와서)" in 2006 through the release of ...

JeA JEA is a municipal utility providing safe, reliable and affordable services to more than one million residents across four Northeast Florida counties. JEA is not owned by investors and does not earn a profit. It was created by the City of Jacks ...

, Kim Sung-eun, Kahi, Bae Yoon-jung, and

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...

. The trainees moved into the dorms on December 5, 2015. The stages for the first group mission were held at the

CJ E&M CJ ENM Entertainment Division (), formerly known as CJ E&M, is a South Korean entertainment and mass media division (formerly company) of CJ ENM. In July 2018, the company merged with the parent company's subsidiary CJ O Shopping, with the latte ...

studio in

Ilsan Ilsan New Town () refers to a planned city occupying Ilsandong District and Ilsanseo District of Goyang. Ilsan is located northwest of Seoul. Like other satellite cities in the Seoul National Capital Area such as Bundang, Ilsan was planned in o ...

on December 27, 2015. In Japan, the first episode of ''Produce 101'' aired on Mnet Japan on April 3, 2016, with the remaining episodes airing every Friday starting from April 8. In the

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

regions, the show premiered on May 4, 2016, and was then broadcast through

Channel M Channel M was a regional television station in England which broadcast to the Greater Manchester area between 2000 and 2012. The station, originally Manchester Student Television, was owned and operated by the GMG Regional Media division of G ...

every Wednesday starting from May 11.

Cast

The show was presented by actor and singer Jang Keun-suk. The rest of the mentors, who were tasked with training the contestants in various categories, were: *Vocal Trainers: **

**Kim Sung-eun *Dance Trainers: ** Kahi **Bae Yoon-jung *Rap Trainer: **

*Fitness Trainer: **Ray Yang

Contestants

;Color key (In order of contestant's rank on the show)

Ranking

The top 11 contestants were chosen through popularity online voting via the official website and the audience's live voting, the results of which were shown at the end of each episode. ;Color key:

First voting period

The first voting period took place from January 22 to February 13, 2016. Viewers were allowed to vote for eleven contestants daily. Eliminations were based on individual total points.

Second voting period

The second voting period took place from February 20 to March 5, 2016. Viewers were allowed to vote for eleven contestants daily. Eliminations were based on individual total points.

Third voting period

The third voting period took place from March 11 to March 19, 2016. At first, it was announced that the voting limit would be decreased from eleven to seven, and was later lowered again to five. Once voting opened, however, viewers were only allowed to select one contestant daily. Eliminations were based on individual total points.

Result

During the last episode, which aired on April 1, 2016, presenter Jang Keun-suk announced the girl group's name: I.O.I ().

Episodes

Controversy

Controversy arose after ''

Ilgan Sports ''Ilgan Sports'' (), sometimes abbreviated as 1S, is a South Korean daily sports and entertainment newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is ofte ...

'' leaked the contract terms between CJ E&M and the ''Produce 101'' trainees' agencies to the public on February 16, 2016. According to the contract, the agencies and trainees are prohibited from legal action against manipulated edits made on the show and from revealing unreleased information. While the agencies share music production costs, trainees will not receive payment for participating in the show and CJ E&M will take half of any profits from ''Produce 101'' music releases, with the agencies of members featured in the release sharing the remainder. An affiliate of the show stated that "it asregrettable that the contents of the contract were revealed" and emphasized that the terms outlined in the contract are "legally common" and "made to protect the editorial rights of producers and to prevent any spoilers of the show."

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

Viewership

Aftermath

I.O.I released its debut EP ''

Chrysalis A pupa (; : pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages the ...

'' on May 4, 2016. The group disbanded on January 29, 2017 after the release of their final single titled " Downpour". * Several group members resumed activities for their respective agencies: ** Jung Chae-yeon (7th) (with label mate Ki Hee-hyun) came back as a member of DIA for their 1st EP ''

Happy Ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...

'' on June 14, 2016. ** Kim Se-jeong (2nd) and

Kang Mi-na Kang Mi-na (; born December 4, 1999), known mononymously as Mina, is a South Korean actress, singer and rapper. She is best known for finishing ninth in Mnet's K-pop girl group survival show ''Produce 101''. She is a former member of the girl ...

(9th) (with label mate Kim Na-young) debuted as members of

Gugudan Gugudan (), also stylized as gu9udan or gx9, was a South Korean girl group formed in 2016 by Jellyfish Entertainment and the company's first girl group. The group debuted on June 28, 2016, with their EP ''Act. 1 The Little Mermaid''. The group wa ...

and released their debut EP '' Act. 1 The Little Mermaid'' on June 28, 2016. The group officially disbanded on December 31, 2020. Kang Mi-na left Jellyfish Entertainment. ** Yoo Yeon-jung (11th) was announced as the newest member of Korean-Chinese girl group

Cosmic Girls WJSN (; ), also known as Cosmic Girls, is a South Korean girl group formed by Starship Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment. The group is composed of ten members: Seola (singer), Seola, Bona (singer), Bona, Exy, Soobin, Luda (singer), Luda, ...

and released their 2nd EP '' The Secret'' on August 17, 2016. ** Zhou Jieqiong (6th) and

Lim Na-young Lim Na-young (; born December 18, 1995) is a South Korean actress, singer and rapper signed under Mask Studio. She was best known for finishing tenth in Mnet's reality survival show ''Produce 101 (season 1), Produce 101''. She is a former membe ...

(10th) debuted as part of girl group

Pristin Pristin (; stylized in all caps, and pre-debut name Pledis Girlz) was a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2016. The group was composed of ten members: Nayoung, Roa, Yuha, Eunwoo, Rena, Kyulkyung, Yehana, Sungyeon, Xiyeo ...

and released their first EP ''

Hi! Pristin ''Hi! Pristin'' (stylized in all caps) is the debut extended play by South Korean girl group Pristin. It was released on March 21, 2017, by Pledis Entertainment, and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. The EP consists of six songs, including the ...

'' on March 21, 2017. Pristin officially disbanded on May 24, 2019. Zhou Jieqiong stayed with

Pledis Entertainment Pledis Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded by Han Sung-Soo in 2007. The label is home to Bumzu, Hwang Min-hyun, and groups Seventeen and TWS. Its name originates from the Pleiades, a star cluster in the constellat ...

, while Lim Na-young departed from the label. *** Zhou Jieqiong made her solo debut in China with the digital single "Why" on September 6, 2018. **

Jeon So-mi Ennik Somi Douma (born March 9, 2001), known professionally by her Korean name Jeon Somi (), is a South Korean and Canadian singer signed under The Black Label. Born in Canada to a South Korean mother and a Dutch-Canadian father, she moved t ...

(1st) signed an exclusive contract with JYP Entertainment in January 2017 for solo activities. She left JYP in August 2018, and signed with

The Black Label The Black Label Inc. (; stylized in all caps or THEBLΛƆKLΛBEL) is a South Korean record label and an associate company of YG Entertainment. It was founded in 2015 by YG producer Teddy Park and Kush. History On September 22, 2015, YG Enterta ...

in September 2018. She debuted as a soloist on June 13, 2019 with single "

Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...

". ** Kim Chung-ha (4th) appeared in soundtrack '' Strong Woman Do Bong-soon'' OST part 5 on March 17, 2017 and solo debuted EP '' Hands on Me'' on June 7, 2017 with title track "Why Don't You Know" featuring Nucksal. Kim Chung-ha left MNH Entertainment after seven years with the company on April 30, 2023. ** Choi Yoo-jung (3rd) and Kim Do-yeon (8th) (with label mates Lee Seo-jung and Jung Haerim) debuted with girl group

Weki Meki Weki Meki (; abbreviated as WEME or WKMK) was a South Korean girl group formed by Fantagio in 2017. The group consisted of eight members: Suyeon, Elly, Yoojung, Doyeon, Sei, Lua, Rina, and Lucy. During the group's career, they released five ...

and released their debut EP '' Weme'' on August 8, 2017. ** Kim So-hye's (5th) family decided to buy out her contract with RedLine Entertainment, and then set up a new agency, S&P (Shark & Penguin) Entertainment. *Some contestants debuted in or joined other groups: ** Han Hye-ri (12th), Lee Su-hyun (13th), Kim So-hee (15th),

Yoon Chae-kyung Yoon Chae-kyung (; born July 7, 1996), is a South Korean actress and singer. Yoon began her career with debuted as a member of Puretty under DSP in Japan during 2012 and the group later disbanded in January 2014. Following the disbandment, Yoo ...

(16th), and Lee Hae-in (17th) formed I.B.I, which was known as I.O.I's "sister group" under

LOEN Entertainment Kakao M Corp. (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It was one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company opera ...

. They released their first single "MOLAE MOLAE" on August 18, 2016. ***Kim So-hee (15th) and Yoon Chae-kyung (16th) later debuted in the project group C.I.V.A from the

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

''The God of Music 2''. The group released a remake of

Diva Diva (, ) is the Latin word for a goddess. Diva is a name from Roman mythology, and is associated with the nouns divus, diva, which means god, goddess, and the adjective divinius, which means divine or heavenly. It has often been used to refer t ...

's "Why Do You Call Me?". ***Kim So-hee (15th) joined

Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

on October 8, 2019. ***Yoon Chae-kyung (16th) joined

April April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Its length is 30 days. April is commonly associated with the season of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the ...

on November 11, 2016. The group disbanded on January 28, 2022. **Park So-yeon (18th) and Lee Soo-min (31st) were set to debut in a new girl group under

in 2018 but never did. **

Jeon So-yeon Jeon So-yeon (; born August 26, 1998), known mononymously as Soyeon, is a South Korean rapper and record producer under Cube Entertainment. She first gained attention for competing in the television shows ''Produce 101'' and '' Unpretty Rapsta ...

(20th) debuted with

(G)I-DLE I-dle (; stylized in all lowercase), formerly known as (G)I-dle (), is a South Korean girl group formed by Cube Entertainment in 2018. The group consists of five members: Miyeon, Minnie (singer), Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua. Originally a se ...

under

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

on May 2, 2018. **Jung Eun-woo (21st),

Park Si-yeon Park Si-yeon (; born March 29, 1979), birth name Park Mi-seon, is a South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She joined the Miss Korea 2000 and used that as a springboard to an acting career, she made her acting debut in China in 20 ...

(25th), Kang Yae-bin (29th), Kim Min-kyeung (42nd), and Gang Gyeong-won (48th) debuted in

under

. They released their first extended play ''

'' on March 21, 2017, with the lead single "

Wee Woo Wee Woo (stylized as WEE WOO) is a debut single by South Korean girl group Pristin for their first EP '' Hi! Pristin'' (2017). It was released as the album's title track on March 21, 2017, and served as the group's debut single. An accompanying mus ...

". The group disbanded on May 24, 2019. **Kim Seo-kyoung (30th) debuted with GWSN under Kiwi Pop. They released their first extended play ''The Park in the Night Part One'', with the lead single "Puzzle Moon" (), on September 5, 2018. **Kim Hyeong-eun (33rd), Park Se-hee (43rd), Kim Min-ji (44th), and Lee Jin-hee (54th) debuted with BULLDOK under Kconic Entertainment. They released their first single "Why Not" on October 20, 2016. The group disbanded in late 2018. **Park Hae-young (38th), Kim Mi-so (73rd), and Heo Sa-em (75th) debuted with A.DE under 2able Company. They released their first single "Strawberry" on June 23, 2016. The group disbanded in late 2017. **

Kim Si-hyeon Kim Si-hyeon (; born August 5, 1999), known mononymously as Sihyeon, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is the leader and vocalist of girl group Everglow, formed by Yuehua Entertainment. Life and career 1998–2018: Early life and caree ...

(40th) debuted with

Everglow Everglow (, stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by Yuehua Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: E:U, Kim Si-hyeon, Sihyeon, Mia, Onda, Aisha, and Yiren. Cited as the "ultimate performance boss" by Korean med ...

under

Yuehua Entertainment Yuehua Entertainment (; ) is a privately held Chinese multinational entertainment group and talent agency based in Beijing. The company was founded in June 2009 by former Huayi Brothers employee Du Hua. Yuehua is involved in television production ...

on March 18, 2019. **Jung Hae-rim (47th; under the stage name Elly) and Lee Seo-jeong (85th; under the stage name Sei) debuted with

under Fantagio on August 8, 2017. **Kim Tae-ha (50th) joined

Momoland Momoland (, stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by MLD Entertainment (formerly known as Duble Sidekick, Duble Kick Company) through the 2016 reality show ''Finding Momoland''. The show's winners Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayu ...

under MLD Entertainment on April 4, 2017. She left the group on November 30, 2019. **Yu Su-a (53rd) was a member of the pre-debut group OAHSIS under Krazy Entertainment. They disbanded on October 11, 2019, before their official debut. She later re-debuted as a member of AQUA on November 17, 2018, with the digital single "Log In". The group disbanded in 2019 after their company closed down. **Lim Jung-min (57th; under the stage name Taeryeong) debuted with

Lunarsolar Lunarsolar (stylized in all-caps; ) was a four-member South Korean girl group formed by JPlanet Entertainment. The group debuted on September 2, 2020, with their single album ''Solar: Flare''. On May 22, 2022, JPlanet Entertainment announced the ...

under JPlanet Entertainment on September 2, 2020. The group disbanded on May 22, 2022. **Kang Si-hyeon (61st) and Kim Yun-ji (84th) debuted with Ariaz under Rising Entertainment, a sub-label of

Star Empire Entertainment Star Empire Entertainment (Korean:스타제국 ''Seuta Jeguk'') was a South Korean private-held entertainment company founded in 2000 by Shin Ju-hak. It was formerly home to artists like Jewelry, Nine Muses, ZE:A, V.O.S, Imfact, and Ariaz. ...

, on October 24, 2019. The group disbanded on April 10, 2022. **Kim Da-jeong (62nd) debuted with

HashTag A hashtag is a metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enable ...

under Luk Factory. They released their first extended play ''The Girl Next Door'', with the lead single "Hue" (), on October 11, 2017. **Ahn Yu-mi (63rd) was supposed to debut with Twinkle under Blessing Entertainment but the group's debut was canceled. **Kim Su-hyun (69th) debuted with

Billlie Billlie (; stylized as ''Bi11lie'' or ''Billlǃə'') is a South Korean girl group formed by Mystic Story. Billlie debuted on November 10, 2021, with the extended play (EP) '' The Billage of Perception: Chapter One''. The group originally consi ...

under Mystic Story. They released their first extended play '' The Billage of Perception: Chapter One'', with the lead single "Ring X Ring", on November 10, 2021. **Park Min-ji (71st) debuted with

Secret Number Secret Number (; stylized in all-caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by Vine Entertainment. The group consists of two members: Soodam and Zuu. The group debuted on May 19, 2020, with the single album ''Who Dis?'' Name According to the g ...

under Vine Entertainment. They released their first extended play ''Who Dis?'' on October 27, 2021. **Ham Ye-ji (72nd; under the stage name Ham Ryeowon) debuted with Prism under LCH Entertainment on May 4, 2018, with the digital single "Chok". The group disbanded in January 2021 after their company was foreclosed due to financial issues. **Kim Ja-yeon (86th) joined 1NB under Trivus Entertainment on November 29, 2017. The group disbanded on April 27, 2018. **Lee Chae-lin (87th) debuted with Fanatics under FENT. They released their first extended play ''The Six'', with the lead single "Sunday", on August 6, 2019. **Choi Yu-bin (88th) debuted with

under the stage name Chaebin on August 3, 2018. **Lee Se-heun (93rd) debuted with Girlkind under Nextlevel Entertainment on January 17, 2018. The group disbanded on August 13, 2022. **Lim Hyo-sun (99th) debuted with H.U.B under New Planet Entertainment on February 9, 2017. The group disbanded in February 2019. *Some contestants returned to their original groups: ** Ki Hui-hyeon (19th) returned to DIA under the stage name Cathy. They made a comeback with their first extended play ''

'' on June 14, 2016. **Ng Sze Kai (23rd) returned to the Hong Konger girl group As One. They released the single "Hey Ya!" () on May 4, 2016. **

Kwon Eun-bin Kwon Eun-bin (, born January 6, 2000), also known simply as Eunbin or Eunbean, is a South Korean singer, actress and model. She participated in the Produce 101 (season 1), first season of ''Produce 101'' (2016), before being eliminated in the ...

(35th) officially joined CLC in June 2016. *Some contestants debuted as soloists: **Kim So-hee (15th) released her debut extended play ''The Fillette'' under The Music Works on November 8, 2017, with the lead single "Sobok Sobok" (feat. Yezi of

Fiestar Fiestar () is a South Korean girl group, composed of Cao Lu, Jei, Linzy, Hyemi and Yezi. They began their career prior to debut by releasing a duet with label mate IU (singer), IU titled "Sea of Moonlight" in July 2012 for LOEN Entertainment's c ...

). **Park So-yeon (18th) released her debut single "Flower" under Gachi Entertainment on November 30, 2020. **

(20th) released her debut single "Jelly" under

on November 5, 2017. ** Kang Si-ra (22nd) released her debut single "Don't Wanna Forget" () under Chungchun Music on January 18, 2017. ** Hwang In-sun (27th) released her debut single "Emoticon" under Show Works on April 28, 2016. **Kim Ju-na (34th) released her debut single "Summer Dream" under Music K Entertainment on September 12, 2016. **Kang Si-won (36th) released her debut single "Click Click" under TNK Entertainment on April 4, 2019. **Choi Eun-bin (70th) released her debut single "Hmm" () under Enterarts in 2018. **Kim Woo-jung (74th; under the stage name D.A.L) released her debut single "Fireworks" (feat.

History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

's Kim Jae-ho under the stage name Bignose) under 2% Entertainment on August 4, 2016. *Some contestants left their companies or signed with or joined new ones: **Lee Su-hyun (13th) and Lee Hae-in (17th) left SS Entertainment in May 2016 after a legal battle. **Kim So-hee (15th) left The Music Works on July 11, 2019, and then signed with n.CH Entertainment. **Park So-yeon (18th) moved from

to its subsidiary FAVE Entertainment. She later left the company and signed with Gachi Entertainment. **Lee Soo-min (31st) left Fantagio in April 2016, stating that she was considering leaving the entertainment industry. However, she eventually signed with

on April 25, 2017. She then left LOEN and signed with Mystic Story, which she also left in 2020 and signed with Highline Entertainment. She left the company in 2021. **

An Ye-seul An Ye-seul (; born October 28, 1995) is a South Korean singer. She is known as one of the Top 9 of Mnet's '' Superstar K4''. Career In 2012, An participated in '' Superstar K4''. She eventually made it to the top 9. In 2016, she participated i ...

(32nd) left MAJESTY and is now an independent artist. **

(40th) signed with

in April 2016. **Kim Tae-ha (50th) left

Starship Entertainment Starship Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded in 2008 and became an independent subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment in 2013. It is also called one of the "five major agencies" in the pop music world, with SM Entertainm ...

and signed with MLD Entertainment. She terminated her contract with MLD Entertainment on November 30, 2019. **Yu Su-a (53rd) left MJ Entertainment and signed with Krazy Entertainment. **Kim Da-jeong (62nd) left Hello Music Entertainment and signed with Luk Factory. **Choi Eun-bin (70th) was subject to a legal battle when she received illegal funds from GM Music while under contract Nextar Entertainment. She later left Nextar Entertainment and signed with Enterarts. **Park Min-ji (71st) left Magic Fresh Company and signed with MND17. She later left MND17 as well and signed with Vine Entertainment. **Kim Woo-jung (74th) left

Happy Face Entertainment Dreamcatcher Company is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2008. History 2008–2010: Establishment, name change and mainstream breakthrough The label was established on August 15, 2008, as Harvest Entertainment (풍년 엔� ...

and signed with 2% Entertainment. She has since left the company. **Lee Seo-jeong (85th) left LOUDers Entertainment and signed with Fantagio. **Kim Ja-yeon (86th) left

and signed with Trivus Entertainment. **Lee Chae-lin (87th) left Midas Entertainment and signed with FENT. *Some contestants debuted as actors: **Kim So-hee (15th) was supposed to appear in the K-drama adaptation of the hit Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

The Idolmaster is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a Life simulation game, raising simulation and Rhythm game, rhythm video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a pr ...

'', titled '' The Idolmaster KR'', but later backed out. **Lee Hae-in (17th) acted in a supporting role in '' Something About 1%'', the 2016 remake of '' Something About 1%''. **Kim Ji-sung (68th) debuted as an actress under N Company. **Lee Seo-jeong (85th) appeared in the music video to

Astro Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (born Terence Wilson) (1957–2021), rapper and member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie ro ...

's "Confession" (). *Some contestants released singles: **Yoon Chae-kyung (16th) released a digital single titled "Clock" with

's Chae-won in May 2016. **Jung Eun-woo (21st),

(25th), Kang Yae-bin (29th), Kim Min-kyeung (42nd), and Gang Gyeong-won (48th) released the digital single " We" as Pledis Girlz under

on June 28, 2016. **Hwang In-sun (27th), Yoon Seo-hyeung (37th), Park Hae-young (38th), Hwang A-young (56th), Ham Ye-ji (72nd), Kim Mi-so (73rd), Heo Sa-em (75th), and Pyun Kang-yoon (78th) released the single "Don't give up" on September 28, 2016. *Some contestants participated in other reality competition shows: **Lee Su-hyun (13th), Kim So-hee (15th), Yoon Chae-kyung (16th), and Lee Hae-in (17th) appeared on ''The God of Music 2''. **Lee Hae-in (17th) participated in the

reality competition show '' Idol School'' and finished 11th. **

(20th) participated in the

reality rap competition show '' Unpretty Rapstar 3''. **Ng Sze Kai (23rd), Huh Chan-mi (26th), Park Hae-young (38th), Lim Jeong-min (57th), Kang Si-hyeon (61st), Kim Si-hyeon (69th), and Kim Yun-ji (84th) joined the

JTBC JTBC (shortened from Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company; ; stylized in all lowercase) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on December 1, ...

and

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...

reality competition show ''

Mix Nine ''Mix Nine'' () is a South Korean reality competition show broadcast on JTBC. In the show, YG Entertainment founder and producer Yang Hyun-suk traveled to music agencies across Korea to find up-and-coming K-pop stars. Throughout the episodes, con ...

''. **Lee Soo-min (31st) participated in the sixth and final season of ''

K-pop Star ''Survival Audition K-pop Star'' () is a South Korean reality competition television series where three entertainment/talent agencies in South Korea hold worldwide auditions to find the next potential K-pop stars. Preliminary auditions are held ...

''. She also appeared on the

and

reality competition show ''

'', where she finished 2nd. **

(40th) and Park Min-ji (71st) participated in ''

Produce 48 ''Produce 48'' () is the third season of the South Korean reality competition series ''Produce 101''. It was a large-scale project in which the public "produces" a girl group by voting for members out of a pool of 96 contestants from South Kore ...

''. **Lim Hyo-sun (99th) participated in ''

The Unit ''The Unit'' is an American action-drama television series created by David Mamet that aired on CBS from March 7, 2006, to May 10, 2009, with the total of four seasons and 69 episodes. The series focuses on a top-secret military unit modeled ...

''. **Jung Haerim (47th) participated in ''

Queendom Puzzle ''Queendom Puzzle'' () is a 2023 South Korean reality competition show created by Mnet. It premiered on Mnet on June 13, 2023, airing every Tuesday at 22:00 KST. The show concluded on August 15, 2023. The show serves as a spin-off series of ' ...

''. *Some contestants decided to pursue other careers: **Ahn Yu-mi (63rd) debuted as a model under Blessing Entertainment. After leaving the company, she kept pursuing her modeling and acting career and became a pilates teacher. *Some contestants left the entertainment industry: **Lee Soo-min (31st) left the entertainment industry after failing to debut under several companies and is pursuing a university degree instead.

Vote manipulation investigation

In July 2019, during the final episode of the ''Produce 101'' series' fourth season, '' Produce X 101'', several viewers suspected that the total votes were manipulated after noticing numerical patterns. On August 1, 2019, 272 viewers filed a lawsuit against Mnet, as their on-site text voting service charged ₩100 per vote. On November 18, 2020, the court revealed that the show was manipulated within trainees in the 1st round of voting for Kim Suh-yeon and Seo Hye-Lin, who passed the 1st Elimination. Mnet had changed their ranks to eliminate them. It is not known what their true rank was supposed to be when they were eliminated.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{I.O.I 2016 South Korean television seasons K-pop television series