Lee Jin-woo on Produce X 101
Mnet’s Produce X 101 introduced trainee lineups on March 21st, 2019 through the Blue Carpet Ceremony. The introduction was held at Sangam DMC Culture Park. Wearing a bright blue suit, Lee Jin-woo’s visual stood out from other trainees because of his small face, smiling eyes, and childish appearance. He wanted to be called Haenami since he came from Haenam, Jeolla Province. Fans noticed that Lee Jin-woo shared similar character and energy with another Maroo Entertainment’s trainee and former contestant of Produce 101 Season 2.
Another Produce X 101 that trained under TOP Media, Lee Jin-hyuk, was thought to have a sibling relationship with Lee Jin-woo. They showed good chemistry and the online community funnily commented that Lee Jin-hyuk gave birth to Lee Jin-woo from his chest. In one of the episodes of Produce X 101, Lee Jin-woo called Lee Jin-hyuk Dad2.
In one of the Produce X 101 episodes, Lee Jin-woo was given a chance to contact his parents. He contacted his mother and cried upon hearing her voice. His mother asked “What time do you sleep? When will you call me again? Do you sleep alone?” Lee Jin-woo couldn’t answer all of the questions because he was asked to not give out any spoilers about the show. Though tears run down from his eyes and his voice was trembling, he was able to comfort his mother and make her proud.
Lee Jin-woo started his appearance in Produce X 101 at number 10. He continued to gain a respected position in every poll, reaching his best-ever rank, at number 4. It seemed that his popularity and performance were strong enough to earn him a debut performance. However, at the third poll, his position plummeted to number 22 and he was eliminated from the program. Upon knowing the result, he couldn’t help but cry and regret everything.
Lee Jin-woo revealed that he had lost about six kilograms during the program. Though he lost weight, he said that he grew much taller while participating in the show. Regarding his height, he added, “When I started living in the dormitory, my height was around 171 cm. Although I don’t measure my height accurately, I think that my height is around 176 cm. I want my height to reach 183 cm after eating well.”
During his recent interview after being eliminated from the program, on July 22nd, 2019, online media found out that he had returned to train at Maroo Entertainment. Being interviewed by online media, he said that he regretted his elimination but he regretted more for not being able to meet all his brothers – the other Produce X 101 contestants.
Lee Jin-woo added, “Even though my training time was too short, I was able to perform at the best stage. I loved everything.” He also confessed about his own character. Although the audience sees him as the youngest contestant with a cute appearance, he has a mature and adult-like character.
While laughing, he later added that two other Produce X 101 young contestants, Do-hyun and Eugene, were like babies compared to him. The three of them were very close. He recalled seeing both Do-hyun and Eugene at a restaurant, riding and playing chair with wheels. He said, “They look like babies and I’m slightly older than them.”
Regarding his elimination day, he felt insecure when his name wasn’t mentioned until the number 14 – 15 position. “My training period was too short, I need to learn many things from my agency. I will work hard and prepare for my debut plan. Please wait for me until I show a better performance,” maturely concluded the young idol.
Lee Jin-woo on TEEN TEEN
Teen Teen is a Korean idol group with three teenage members: Lee Jin-woo, Lee Tae-seung, and Lee Woo-jin. The trio was formed by Maroo Entertainment in 2019 and debuted on September 18th, 2019, with their debut EP titled Very, On Top. At the time of their professional debut, Teen Teen’s average age was 16.5 years old. Lee Jin-woo was the youngest member.
Very, On Top peaked at the number six position on the Gaon Music Charts and sold 15.870 copies in Korea. The lead single from their debut EP, “Be Responsible,” featured catchy lyrics and easy listening music. Lee Jin-woo was responsible for the rap and the main dancing. Although their voices clearly showed that they were teenagers, their overflowing energy was one of their mature charms.
Teen Teen members were contestants of the idol group survival-variety show Mnet’s Produce X 101. Lee Jin-woo ranked highest, 22nd place, compared to the other members, Lee Woo-jin, who ranked 41st, and Lee Tae-sung, who ranked 53rd. All of them were eliminated and failed to reach the top eleven positions in order to survive and debut.
Teen Teen debuted with a pretty boy teen idol group concept and human juice tagline. Lee Jin-woo represented apple while Lee Woo-jin and Lee Tae-sung represented grape and orange. Teen Teen’s debut performance took place in September 2019 on Mnet’s M Countdown and the debut was met with high praise since their performance was cute and energetic. Their youthful looks were evident while wearing bright and colorful stage outfits. Lee Jin-woo was the face of the group with his small face and cute blonde hair.
