Younite member Woono received devastating news about his grandfather's death ahead of the boy group's fan signing event on Sunday.
As part of the group's promotion for its third EP, YOUNI-ON, Younite scheduled a fan signing event for its fans. They will also have a face-to-face fan signing and MEET&CALL events on Feb. 4.
However, Woono missed Sunday's event as he and his family mourn the death of his grandfather.
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Younite Woono's Grandfather Died
Brand New Music released an official statement on Younite's fan café regarding Woono's schedule. The official Twitter page of the boy group also shared a link to the post, which revealed that the idol's grandfather passed away on Saturday.
"Therefore, we are informing you that Woono will unavoidably be unable to participate in YOUNITE's fan signing event for their 3rd EP "YOUNI-ON" that was scheduled to take place today," the statement read. "We offer our blessings to the departed, and we ask that you send Woono your warm comfort and support."
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The statement did not confirm whether Woono would also miss next week's scheduled events.
Woono officially debuted with Younite in 2022 through its first EP, Youni-Birth. It has since released its second EP, Youni-Q, in July, months before Youni-On's release.
They were supposed to make a comeback showcase for its third album, but the agency decided to cancel it amid the national mourning period following the tragic Itaewon Halloween crowd crush.
So far, the group has already received three nominations from two award-giving bodies. Genie Music Awards nominated Younite for Best Male Rookie Award, while MAMA Awards included the group on its list of nominees for Best New Male Artist and Artist of the Year categories.
Younite Makes It To January Boy Group Brand Reputation Rankings
Although Younite is yet to enjoy the same amount of spotlight A-list groups have been receiving, it started to gain popularity nearly a year after it debuted.
The Korean Business Research Institute's recent rankings for male idol groups listed Younite as the 21st most popular boy group so far. The list was created based on the data it collected from Dec. 7 to Jan. 7.
BTS, NCT, SEVENTEEN, SUPER JUNIOR, EXO, STRAY KIDS, THE BOYZ, BTOB, ASTRO and BIGBANG completed the top 10. Meanwhile, ENHYPEN, TXT, TREASURE, SHINee, ATEEZ, MONSTA X, WINNER, INFINITE, PENTAGON and Highlight secured the 11th to 20th spots.
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