UNI.T Talks About "Produce 48," "MIXNINE," And The Possibility Of Extending Their Contracts

UNI.T, the project group formed by the female winners of KBS’s idol rebooting project “The Unit,” recently sat down for an interview with news outlet OSEN ahead of their upcoming debut.

All nine members of UNI.T have previously debuted either as a solo artist or in a group, and the idols shared that their respective bandmates have been enthusiastically supporting them from the sidelines. Euijin remarked, “The SONAMOO members have known me for a long time. They’re tsundere types who say things like, ‘You’ll do fine on your own’ and ‘See, I knew you’d do well.’ I actually found the calmness of their support even more touching.”

Woohee said, “The members of Dal Shabet are all living busily on their own. The members monitor my promotions and cheer me on, telling me to work hard. I’m sure that even as we speak, they’re flooding our group chat with messages.” She also reasserted that the group had not disbanded, commenting, “It makes me sad that ‘Dal Shabet’s disbandment’ shows up in the related search terms.”

ZN shared, “Because this is my first time living apart from the LABOUM members after about five years of living together in a dorm, my feelings of affection for them have grown. They always monitor my promotions and cheer me on in our group chat.”

The UNI.T members also shared their advice for the contestants of the upcoming Mnet audition program “Produce 48.” Looking back on her experience on “The Unit,” Lee Hyun Joo remarked, “If you think of survival shows as competition only, you end up burdened by so much pressure. I think the best thing to do is to keep thinking positive thoughts.”

Euijin added, “Having gone through a survival show, I realized that there’s so much more than just fierce competition. There’s also friendship and emotional, heartwarming moments. There are a lot of fun aspects. Even though it’ll be difficult and exhausting, if you seek out small joys within the experience, I believe that you’ll be able to do well and emerge unscathed.”

Yang Jiwon advised, “I hope you don’t forget the mindset you had when you first decided to take on the challenge of appearing on the program, and take care of yourself while remaining positive.”

Meanwhile, Lee Suji commented, “If you happen to be eliminated, I hope you know that you weren’t eliminated because you yourself were lacking. Don’t lower your self-esteem, and please think of it as a moment of growth. I hope that you enjoy the experience and make good memories.”

“The Unit” aired during the same period of time as JTBC’s audition program “MIXNINE,” leading many viewers to draw comparisons between the two survival shows. However, YG Entertainment recently confirmed the cancellation of the debut of the winning group on “MIXNINE.”

When asked their thoughts on the unfortunate news, Euijin replied, “Because there was something of an unofficial rivalry between our programs, I watched [‘MIXNINE’] with great interest. I was inspired [to work harder] after seeing their performances, so I was regretful and disappointed when I saw the news. But I’m certain that there will be another opportunity [for the contestants].”

Yang Jiwon added, “To be honest, ‘The Unit’ was not a very well-known program, but the producers and our management made it possible for us to promote. In that regard, I think [the cancellation] is unfortunate. However, I believe that if they stay strong, [another] opportunity could arise at any moment. I hope that they don’t give up and that they continue to practice hard with a joyful spirit.”

The UNI.T members also shared that they were not ready to think about the inevitable end of their project group. When asked whether they would consider extending their contracts with the group, Euijin commented, “I’d like to be able to show a lot of different sides to UNI.T. If [a contract extension] is possible, I’d want to do it.”

Woohee remarked, “If we receive a good reaction [from the public], I don’t know what will happen. We will work hard and do our best to receive good results.”

UNI.T is scheduled to debut on May 18 with the title track “No More.”

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