TRAINEE A
During the July 17 broadcast of Mnet’s “Boys 2 Planet”, Grid Entertainment trainees LEE LEO and LEE SANGWON attracted just as much attention as veteran idols. The reason? They are former members of the TRAINEE A project under BigHit Music.
A noteworthy appearance has brought the spotlight back to all the former members of TRAINEE A.
TRAINEE A was a pre-debut group formed by BigHit Music, with the goal of officially debuting in the second half of 2022. The name wasn’t official, it simply stood for “Trainee A.” Originally composed of INHYUK, LEO, SANGWON, JUNIL, JAMES, JIHOON, and WOOCHAN, the group was first introduced in March 2021. For nearly two years, they documented their preparation journey on social media, carefully building a narrative. However, on December 23, 2022, the closing of their social media channels confirmed the cancellation of the debut project.
In total, nine trainees were publicly identified as part of TRAINEE A. It has now been more than a year and a half since the project was officially scrapped. However, as former members begin debuting in various agencies, renewed interest in them is growing.
As of the project’s cancellation, the remaining members were YORCH, JIHOON, WOOCHAN, JAMES, SANGWON, and JJ. The first to debut was YORCH, who is from Thailand. Soon after the project’s cancellation, he returned to Thailand and made his solo debut. Then, in July 2023, he announced his return to Korea as a member of POW, a rookie group launched by Grid Entertainment.
POW released its first mini-album “FAVORITE” in October, marking YORCH’s official re-debut. The group has continued its activities, releasing its third mini-album “BEING TENDER (다정해지는 법)” on June 27. YORCHalso took part in the overall production process alongside member Jungbin, showcasing his artistic growth.
After the project’s cancellation, JIHOON remained within HYBE but transferred from BigHit Music to Pledis Entertainment, with the aim of joining Pledis’s next boy group, the successor to SEVENTEEN. On January 22, 2024, he made his official debut as a member of TWS.
TWS, the group JIHOON belongs to, made a powerful impression on the music industry with its debut track “첫 만남은 계획대로 되지 않아” (Our first meeting didn’t go as planned). Quickly expanding into Japan, the group topped major local charts, demonstrating global popularity.
WOOCHAN left BigHit after the project ended. He resumed his solo activities in April 2024 with the EP “BLANK”, and then officially debuted in June as a member of the co-ed group ALLDAY PROJECT, launched by The Black Label. The news that Woochan would debut in a co-ed group, not a boy group, came as a surprise to many fans.
Despite the common skepticism surrounding co-ed groups, WOOCHAN and ALLDAY PROJECT broke expectations and debuted successfully. Their debut single “FAMOUS” not only gained traction in Korea but also entered the Billboard charts, reigniting public interest in co-ed acts.
Among the six members who remained at the end of the TRAINEE A project, three have already achieved their debut dreams, while the other three are still on the path. Of the latter, JAMES is closest to debut. Like JIHOON, he chose to stay within HYBE. However, unlike JIHOON, who transferred to Pledis, James stayed with BigHit Music and has been confirmed as a member of its new boy group set to debut on August 18.
According to BigHit, James participated in choreographing TXT’s “Deja vu”, and ILLIT’s “Magnetic” and “Cherish”. He is also said to have contributed to the production of “Deja vu”, “Miracle”, and “Magnetic” alongside fellow member Martin, further raising anticipation for his debut.
After the project ended, JJ went off the radar for a while. He was first spotted again on February 22, 2024, during SMTOWN LIVE 2024: SMCU PALACE @TOKYO, appearing with other SM trainees. In January 2025, he reappeared at SMTOWN LIVE 2025, this time as a member of SM’s pre-debut male trainee group SMTR25. On April 5, he was officially introduced as a member. At SM, he has since dropped his former stage name “JJ” and now goes by his real name, JUSTIN.
After leaving BigHit, SANGWON remained without an agency for about two and a half years. On Boys 2 Planet, he candidly shared: “I didn’t want to continue. I even worked part-time at a café and spent a lot of time thinking.” Eventually, he signed an exclusive contract with Grid Entertainment and joined the show, reigniting his dream of becoming an idol.
The one who helped SANGWON get back on his feet was LEO. Part of the original TRAINEE A lineup, LEO left BigHit in August 2022. He was also the first among the former members to debut officially in Korea. On August 17, 2023, he released his digital single “ONE LOOK“, marking his solo debut.
He had already released his first mini-album “COME CLOSER” in May of last year. He is now a trainee under Grid Entertainment and is appearing on Boys 2 Planet alongside SANGWON.
While SANGWON and LEO have been drawing attention at Grid Entertainment, PARK JUNIL, now a trainee under Inkode Entertainment, is also a former member of TRAINEE A. He left BigHit a few months after being introduced, later joined JYP Entertainment, and eventually transferred to Inkode. He is also a contestant on “Boys 2 Planet”, continuing his pursuit of debut.
The only member whose current status remains unknown is INHYUK. Introduced as part of the original TRAINEE A lineup, he left BigHit in January 2022. Since then, there have been no updates, leaving fans curious about his whereabouts.
Journaliste : Shawn
Source : SNS artistes, Mnet
