In 2023, the year she turned 16, she was scouted at the Express Bus Terminal in her first year of high school and became a trainee. A month later, in the finale of the audition show R U Next?, she placed first in the final vote and was put in the ILLIT debut lineup.
The breakthrough yearIn March 2024, the year she turned 17, she debuted with the first mini album SUPER REAL ME. Its title track “Magnetic” entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 91 in the chart published on Apr. 16, 22 days after the debut, becoming the first debut song by a K-pop group to reach it.
In October she released the second mini album I’LL LIKE YOU, and in December she won best new artist at the 66th Japan Record Awards. In June 2025, the year she turned 18, she released the third mini album bomb. In July she made her first acting appearance, in a cameo in the final episode of the SBS drama Spring of Youth.
In April 2026, the year she turned 19, ILLIT was nominated in the “Best Female K-Pop Artist” category at the American Music Awards, and she released the fourth mini album MAMIHLAPINATAPAI.
In September she became the first brand muse of the beauty lens brand Chuulens and revealed the tracklist for the fifth mini album BREAK EVEN.
Wonhee (born Jun 26, 2007) placed first in the final vote of the audition show R U Next? on Sep 1, 2023, the year she turned 16, and was put in the ILLIT debut lineup. She debuted with the first mini album SUPER REAL ME on Mar 25, 2024, the year she turned 17, and became known when the debut song “Magnetic” entered the Billboard Hot 100 on Apr 16, 2024, the year she turned 17, the first debut song by a K-pop group to do so.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.