(YMC Entertainment)

Eleven-member girl group I.O.I from Korean cable channel Mnet’s idol survival program “Produce 101” will debut May 4, releasing its first mini album, management agency YMC Entertainment confirmed Monday.

The agency added that the group finished a photo shoot for an album cover last week, and is currently recording the album.

They are also planning events to meet fans, and will hold a showcase and fan meeting on May 5 at Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul.

In the audition program, 101 female trainees from 46 local entertainment agencies competed to form a new K-pop group, and 11 contestants were finally picked: Jeon So-mi, Kim Se-jung, Choi Yoo-jung, Kim Chung-ha, Kim So-hye, Zhou Jie Qiong, Jung Chae-yeon, Kim Do-yeon, Kang Mi-na, Lim Na-young and Yu Yeun-jung.

The 11-episode series ended on April 1, with a new similar program for male singers slated for January 2017.


By Kim Soo-hyang (shkim@heraldcorp.com)