ILLIT is about to release their first single album “Not Cute Anymore” in over a week. ILLIT is set to release their first single album, “Not Cute Anymore,” in just over a week. The group has come a long way since their debut in March 2024. Nearly two years later, they have yet to produce a viral hit like their debut track, “Magnetic.” However, they have built a strong and loyal following, especially among younger K-pop fans.
Fans continue to adore the ILLIT members, who have stayed composed and calm despite the many controversies and comparisons with their labelmates, NewJeans.
About ILLIT
ILLIT (all caps) is the youngest five-member multinational girl group under BELIFT LAB, a sub-label of HYBE. Their name comes from “I Will Be It,” which shows their ambition and potential to grow into anything.
ILLIT members include
- Yunah (Korean) – Leader
- Minju (Korean) – Main vocalist
- Moka (Japanese) – Lead dancer
- Wonhee (Korean) – Lead vocalist and center
- Iroha (Japanese) – Main dancer and youngest member (maknae)
Each member has a color: Yunah (Red), Minju (Yellow), Moka (Purple), Wonhee (Pink), and Iroha (Blue). Their fans are called GLLIT, inspired by “glitter,” which symbolizes how fans make ILLIT shine.
ILLIT Members
Without further ado, let’s introduce fans to ILLIT members
Yunah
- Full name: No Yunah (노윤아)
- Date of birth: January 15, 2004
- Nationality: South Korea (born in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk‑do)
- Height: 168 cm
Yunah, is the oldest member and leader of ILLIT. She earned her spot in the group by finishing sixth on the survival show R U Next?, becoming the final member to join. The 21-year-old member trained for four to five years of training, the longest among the show’s contestants.
Yunah describes herself as “sometimes quiet and sometimes loud” and often serves as the group’s mood-maker. She is also a songwriter and contributed to tracks like “Do the Dance” and “Not Me.” Outside of music, Yunah enjoys playing PC games such as Overwatch, riding her bicycle, and even ironing. She has a soft spot for dogs, loves historical movies, and her representative color is red.
Minju
- Full name: Park Minju
- Date of birth: May 11, 2004
- Nationality: South Korea (from Namyangju, Gyeonggi)
- Height: Approximately 163 cm
Minju is the group’s second-oldest member. She began her idol training at 15 and spent around five years preparing before her debut. The 21-year-old idol started as a trainee at YG Entertainment before moving to BELIFT LAB in late 2021. She placed third at the 2023 survival show R U Next? with nearly 3 million votes and secured her spot in ILLIT. Her reinterpretation of 2NE1’s “I Don’t Care” earned her the nickname “Real Voice Colour Fairy.”
In September 2024, she became the new MC for KBS’s Music Bank, taking over from LE SSERAFIM’s Hong Eunchae. She hosts her own YouTube talk show, Minju’s Pink Cabinet. This year, she began contributing to songwriting by co-writing ILLIT’s track “Not Me. Minju featured with member Yunah on Kylie Cantrall’s “See U Tonight.”
She describes herself as a nice, cheerful, and occasionally shy person, with an ISTP personality. Minju has an older brother and a pet dog named Ddungi, enjoys listening to music, playing games, practicing typing, and can play the violin.
Moka
- Full name: Moka Sakai
- Date of birth: October 8, 2004.
- Nationality: Japanese (from Fukuoka Prefecture)
- Height: Approximately 162 cm
Moka, the third-oldest member, joined ILLIT after competing on the survival show R U Next?, where she placed fifth. She trained under HYBE Labels Japan (now rebranded as YX Labels) starting around September 2020. She spent about three to three and a half years preparing for her debut. Before that, she was part of a dance crew in Japan and performed K-pop covers.
Known for her caring and gentle personality, Moka is often seen as the “mother” of the group. She is the eldest of two daughters and describes herself as timid but kind. She is a fan of BIGBANG and was introduced to K-pop by her mother, and looks up to BLACKPINK’s Jennie as a role model.
Her representative color is purple, her MBTI is ISFP, and she often uses the coffee emoji to represent herself.
Wonhee
- Full name: Lee Wonhee
- Date of birth: June 26, 2007.
- Nationality: South Korea (from Busan, Sasang District)
- Height: Approximately 162 cm.
Wonhee is one of the younger members of the group (a “maknae‑line” member) and is often praised for her cute looks. She trained for only about two months before appearing on the survival show R U Next?. There, she won first place with nearly 3.3 million votes.
Her path began when a HYBE representative scouted her at Seoul’s Express Bus Terminal. Before that, she had never considered becoming an idol, even reportedly saying, “How can I be an idol?” when friends suggested she audition for other companies.
Wonhee is the second youngest member of ILLIT, but her members often treat and tease her like the maknae, or youngest. Her MBTI is ISFP and her favorite colors are sky blue and ivory. She enjoys singing and making keychains, has a talent for sports, and once served as head of her school’s sports department. Her representative emoji is a squirrel.
Iroha
- Full name: Hokazono Iroha
- Date of birth: February 4, 2008
- Nationality: Japanese (from Tokyo)
- Height: Approximately 158 cm
Iroha is the main dancer, sub-vocalist, and youngest member (maknae) of ILLIT. The 17-year-old idol started dancing when she was just three years old. She moved to South Korea at 11 and began training with JYP Entertainment, where she became close friends with members of NMIXX and NiziU.
Later, she joined BELIFT LAB and competed on the survival show R U Next?. She finished in fourth place and secured her spot in ILLIT’s final lineup. In total, she trained for about five years before debuting.
Known for her perfectionist streak, Iroha often says, “I can do anything” and “It can’t be helped.” Her representative color is blue, and her emoji is a turtle.
She looks up to i-dle’s Soyeon and BTS’s j-hope. Her favorite color is green/mint, she loves cats, enjoys tiramisu, and prefers winter.
Fun fact: Her birth name means “to fly around the world with beautiful wings,” and she even contributed to writing “Midnight Fiction” on ILLIT’s debut album.
ILLIT’s Journey So Far
ILLIT came together through the 2023 survival show R U Next?, with 22 trainees competing for a spot. The original lineup had six members, but Youngseo left before the debut. ILLIT debuted with five members. Youngseo is now a member of ALLDAY PROJECT (ADP), which debuted this year.
ILLIT officially debuted on March 25, 2024, with the mini-album Super Real Me and the title song Magnetic. Their debut broke records Magnetic achieved 73 Perfect All-Kills in Korea, which made them the second K-pop group to get a PAK with a debut song after BLACKPINK.
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 91, a first for a K-pop debut single. It also became the fastest girl group song to hit 100 million streams on Japan’s Oricon chart.
Super Real Me sold over 380,000 copies in its first week and was later certified Platinum. They also won their first music show only eight days after their debut.
In October 2024, ILLIT released their second mini-album I’ll Like You with Cherish (My Love), also Platinum-certified. This year, they made their Japanese debut with digital singles like Almond Chocolate and maxi single Toki Yo Tomare.
In June, they dropped their third mini-album bomb with Do the Dance, the EP sold 401,674 copies in the first week. Now, the group prepares to drop their first single album Not Cute Anymore releasing on November 24, 2025.
ILLIT Controversies
ILLIT’s fast rise hasn’t been without challenges.
Plagiarism Accusations
The first major controversy emerged weeks after ILLIT’s debut. Min Hee Jin, then ADOR CEO and producer of senior HYBE group NewJeans, publicly accused the rookie group of copying NewJeans’ concept, style, and overall identity.
BELIFT LAB filed a 2 billion KRW lawsuit and denied the claims, saying similarities were due to trends in K-pop. Legal matters have continued to affect ILLIT’s image. In October, a court reviewed a claim from NewJeans member Hanni, who said ILLIT members ignored her. The court found there was not enough proof to support the claim.
Earlier, in September, HYBE presented documents alleging that Min Hee Jin had planned negative campaigns against ILLIT even before their debut.
Fandom Name Backlash
ILLIT also ran into problems naming their fandom. In April last year, they announced the fandom name “LILLY,” meant to symbolize “everlasting love between ILLIT and fans.” Fans quickly criticized it for being too similar to BLACKPINK Lisa’s fandom name and NMIXX member Lily’s name.
Facing backlash, BELIFT Lab canceled the name just one day later and promised to choose a new one. In September, the group officially announced “GLLIT” as the fandom name, inspired by “glitter” to show that fans make ILLIT shine. Even then, some international fans thought the name sounded odd or confusing.
Despite controversies, they continue to release music and gain global attention. With their new single album coming soon, ILLIT is ready to show the world what they truly “will be.”
