Pentagon's Hui dishes on his participation in Mnet's Boys Planet despite many's disapproval

Pentagon's Hui, who participated in Mnet's survival show Boys Planet, recently sat down for an interview with Korean Jooangdaily and covered several topics -- from his decision to join the show to the time spent here. Given that the news of the idol's participation initially caused a lot of controversy online, his further explanation on the same made fans better empathize and understand his stance.

In the interview, he revealed that many people were against his decision, including his fellow Pentagon members and his agency, CUBE Entertainment. However, Hui was fixated on his idea and joined Boys Planet, sacrificing and risking many things along the way.

While the idol had already expressed before that he joined the show to create a fresh start for both him and his group, he dwelled deeper into the same in this interview with Korean Jooangdaily.

Pentagon's Hui reveals the several reasons behind his participation in Boys Planet and the disapproval he faced after that

While Pentagon garnered a lot of attention until 2019, when the members started to depart for their mandatory military service, their popularity inevitably plungeoned. When group leader Hui returned from his service, he stated that the connection between the members was off and the group couldn't shine as they did before.

As the idol looked for solutions to better their situation, he felt that Boys Planet was the best and the only option left for him. However, given his extensive skillset, talent, and experience, many disapproved of his participation as a trainee.

"I talked to the members about competing before hand, and not everyone approved, of course. Some supported my decision but some members were sad about it."

Pentagon's Hui also dished about the much-speculated fight between him and co-member Jinho. For the unversed, when the former's participation in Boys Planet was initially revealed, it was discovered that Jinho unfollowed Hui on Instagram.

As fans thought they might have fought because of the same, Hui confirmed the same:

"At that time, there were many situations where it was not easy to bring up a story that could persuade everyone. I've made up with Jinho. We talked about it well and there's no problem now. I'm also watching JTBC "Phantom Singer" that Jinho is participating. We supported the members who are participating for survivals a lot."

While there were many struggles along the way of his participation in the survival show, fans are glad to hear that things are sorted between the members as they get back together as Pentagon.

In addition, the idol also mentioned several reasons why he chose Boys Planet, which was both a decision made as the leader of Pentagon and as an individual artist in the industry:

"The first reason was for Pentagon. I thought we needed something different, considering how our albums have performed in past years. My goal was to get more people to know about me through this show, and consequently make Pentagon more known as well. I felt like there’s not much I could do. But it was also a challenge Hui, as an individual, needed in order to grow."

However, CUBE Entertainment apparently disapproved of Pentagon's Hui participating in the same since they felt that it would affect his then-present position as a producer:

"The company was very opposed. They were worried that my previous career as a singer producer might be affected. At the time, I knew that nothing I said would sound realistic, no matter how ambitious it was. So I kept it simple and just said, ‘I want to do this. I think we need a challenge.’"

He concluded his interview by bringing his awareness that the fans were worried about his decision:

"I knew it could seem like a sad and disappointing choice to my fans too, but that was more reason to tell myself that I have to create something positive out of this. I had to believe in myself, that I simply must do great."

Regardless, now that Boys Planet is now over, fans are more clearly able to see Hui's reason behind his participation. While fans were initially worried and confused about his decision, given the increase in Pentagon and its members' popularity following the same, fans are happy about how things snowballed into.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Abhipsa Choudhury