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I.O.I to hold debut 10th anniversary comeback in May, preparing new album

Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 14:34

Project girl group I.O.I [YONHAP]

K-pop project girl group I.O.I will make a comeback in May this year to mark the 10th anniversary of its debut, the group’s agency Swing Entertainment said Monday.

“I.O.I, including Im Na-young, Chungha, Kim Se-jeong, Jung Chae-yeon, Kim So-hye, Yoo Yeon-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Do-yeon and Jeon So-mi — has confirmed a May comeback and is currently preparing a new album,” Swing Entertainment said in a statement.

The upcoming promotion marks the group’s first reunion in about nine years since 2017. However, two members, Kang Mi-na and Zhou Jieqiong, will not participate due to prior commitments, and the comeback will proceed with nine members.

I.O.I was formed through fan votes on Mnet’s “Produce 101” in 2016 and debuted in May the same year. Starting with its debut track “Dream Girls” (2016), the group released a string of hits including “Whatta Man, (Good Man)” (2016), “Very Very Very” (2016) and “Downpour” (2017), topping music programs and ranking high on major music charts.

As a project group, I.O.I disbanded in January 2017 after about 9 months of activity. Its members have since joined other girl groups or have been active through solo work.

Along with the release of the new album, I.O.I plans to hold a concert in Seoul before embarking on an Asia tour to meet global fans. Exact dates of the concert and tour have not yet been announced.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]