JYP Trainee Hwang Yeji Causes A Stir With Unexpected Results On "The Fan"

Dec 02, 2018

JYP Entertainment trainee Hwang Yeji rose to the top of Naver’s realtime search rankings after her performance on the latest episode of SBS’s “The Fan”!

Hwang Yeji appeared as a contestant on the December 1 broadcast of the new survival show, where 2PM’s Junho introduced her as JYP Entertainment’s “secret weapon.” Junho spoke highly of the trainee, who previously made a brief appearance on the Mnet reality show “Stray Kids” last year, praising both her talent and work ethic.

Although Hwang Yeji went on to perform a powerful rendition of Zara Larsson’s “Ain’t My Fault,” she failed to capture the hearts of three of the “fan masters” (the show’s celebrity panelists).

BoA commented, “To be honest, I didn’t become a fan after seeing your performance today, but I really hope to become your fan when you debut in the future.” Kim Eana reported feeling that there was still room for improvement in terms of Hwang Yeji’s skills, and Lee Sang Min similarly remarked that he had not been particularly moved by her performance.

Hwang Yeji did manage to win the vote of Yoo Hee Yeol, the show’s fourth fan master, with her winning charm and personality.

Junho’s faith in the contestant remained unshaken, and he told the audience, “I think that [Hwang Yeji] has the potential to improve further in the future, and I think that she is aware of the areas in which she is lacking. So I hope that you vote for her. She will definitely be able to steal your hearts in the next round.”

Unfortunately, however, Hwang Yeji failed to secure the 200 audience votes necessary to safely make it through to the next round. To the audience and fan masters’ shock and dismay, she received exactly 197 votes—just three votes shy of the amount she needed.

A regretful Kim Eana exclaimed, “Those three [votes] are us,” and Lee Sang Min rose from his seat to say, “I’m so sorry.” BoA echoed their sentiments, commenting, “If only we’d voted for her.”

Yoo Hee Yeol rushed to point out that although Hwang Yeji had become a candidate for elimination, she had not yet been eliminated; if she managed to secure enough online votes, she would still be able to move on to the next round.

After the show, Junho comforted Hwang Yeji and told her, “I really thought you did a good job today. I’m not just saying this; you did a good job.”

He went on, “Everyone who voted for you today is someone to be grateful for, so don’t forget those feelings of gratitude.” Giving her a high-five, he added, “You really worked hard.”

Hwang Yeji’s performance, as well as her unexpectedly low score, caught the eye of many viewers—shortly after the episode aired, Hwang Yeji’s name began trending in Naver’s realtime search rankings.

Check out an unedited clip of the trainee’s performance below!