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Hallyu Wiki explainers · Hallyu Wiki editors · Updated 2026-10-17

ILLIT's Wonhee: who is she, how is her name written, and what is she doing in 2026?

The spellings Wonhee, WONHEE and ウォンヒ, whether the Chinese-character name 李沅禧 is officially confirmed, her age and nationality, winning R U Next? and debuting with ILLIT, her agency Belift Lab, and her work from "It's Me" to the October 26 mini album — drawn from 15 official and press sources.

Wonhee (WONHEE) is a member of ILLIT, the five-member girl group under Belift Lab, a HYBE label. She is a South Korean singer born on June 26, 2007. In 2023 she took first place in the final vote of the JTBC audition show R U Next? to join ILLIT, which debuted on March 25, 2024 with the mini album SUPER REAL ME and the title track "Magnetic."

In Japanese her name is written ウォンヒ, and the group's Japanese official site uses WONHEE. The Chinese-character name 李沅禧 has been used by Taiwanese media but is not confirmed in her agency's official materials. As of October 2026, ILLIT is preparing to release its fifth mini album, BREAK EVEN, on October 26. Common questions are answered below, with a source number on every claim.

SpellingLanguageWhere it is confirmed
원희Korean stage nameThe name used in Korean press reports citing Belift Lab and in HYBE-affiliated Weverse Magazine.1,3,7
WONHEEEnglish stage nameThe spelling on the ILLIT Japan official site's profile page, which gives her birth date as 2007.06.26.15
ウォンヒJapanese (katakana)The spelling used by ABEMA TIMES and Mynavi News; Mynavi gives her real name as イ・ウォンヒ. «ウォニ» did not appear as a spelling in the official materials or press reports checked for this page.4,5
李沅禧Chinese charactersGiven as her real name by Marie Claire Taiwan. It is not confirmed in Belift Lab or HYBE official materials.6

Who is ILLIT's Wonhee?

Wonhee is a member of ILLIT, the girl group of Belift Lab, a HYBE label; she joined through R U Next? in 2023 and debuted on March 25, 2024. ILLIT has five members — Yunah, Minju, Moka, Wonhee and Iroha — with Yunah, Minju and Moka born in 2004, Wonhee in 2007 and Iroha in 2008. W Korea described ILLIT as Belift Lab's first girl group and HYBE's third, after LE SSERAFIM and NewJeans.

1,2,3

How is Wonhee's name written in English, Japanese and Chinese characters?

Wonhee is written WONHEE in English and ウォンヒ in Japanese, while the Chinese-character spelling 李沅禧 is not confirmed as an official spelling. The ILLIT Japan official site's profile uses WONHEE, and ABEMA TIMES and Mynavi News write ウォンヒ. Mynavi News gives her real name as イ・ウォンヒ (Lee Won-hee). 李沅禧 was used as her real name by Marie Claire Taiwan in 2024, but no Chinese-character name appears in the Belift Lab or HYBE official materials checked for this page. The form «ウォニ», which shows up in Japanese searches, was not used as a spelling in the official materials or press reports checked for this page either.

4,5,6,15

How old is Wonhee, and what is her nationality?

Wonhee was born on June 26, 2007, making her 19 as of October 2026, and she is South Korean. ABEMA TIMES lists her nationality as South Korea, as does Marie Claire Taiwan. In 2026 Coupang Play released the variety show Wonhee Is Twenty, in which she works through a bucket list for turning twenty — a figure based on the traditional Korean way of counting age, in which a person is one at birth.

4,6,10,15

How did Wonhee debut?

  • Wonhee joined ILLIT by taking first place in the final vote of JTBC's 2023 audition show R U Next? According to W Korea, the show aired from June to September 2023, with 22 Belift Lab trainees going through seven rounds of missions. Weverse Magazine wrote that she entered one month into her training and drew criticism in early rounds, but earned praise from coach Jo Kwon for her round-four stage "Across the Universe" and finished first in the final vote.2,4,7
  • Her training period is given differently by different outlets. Weverse Magazine says "one month in" and W Korea "less than a month," while ABEMA TIMES and Mynavi News say two months. Mynavi News described it as the shortest trainee period before debut in HYBE's history.2,4,5,7
  • ILLIT debuted on March 25, 2024 with the mini album SUPER REAL ME and the title track "Magnetic." At the debut showcase that day, Wonhee described it as "a song expressing the honest, confident heart of a teenager running toward someone she likes." HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk took part in producing the debut album.1,3,8
1,2,3,4,5,7,8

What is Wonhee's position in ILLIT?

No official announcement of members' positions by Belift Lab was found in the official site and reports checked for this page; in press coverage Wonhee is mainly introduced as a vocalist. Weverse Magazine calls her a "growing vocalist" and notes that at the 2025 MBC Gayo Daejejeon in December 2025 she sang the famous three-step high notes of IU's "Good Day." Mynavi News singles out her vocal skill and husky tone. Weverse Magazine also notes that she appeared on MBC's Radio Star in January 2026 and often shares make-up content on ILLIT's YouTube channel.

5,7

Which agency is Wonhee with?

Wonhee's agency is Belift Lab (BELIFT LAB), a HYBE label. In February 2024 Donghaeng Media Sidae cited "Belift Lab, an agency under HYBE" in reporting ILLIT's March debut, and in September 2026 Sports Kyunghyang and THE FIRST TIMES reported the fifth mini album as Belift Lab's announcement. Belift Lab is also the label of the group ENHYPEN.

1,2,11,12

What have Wonhee and ILLIT been doing recently?

  • Their latest release is the fifth mini album BREAK EVEN, out on October 26, 2026. The title track is "체포하겠어" (I'll Arrest You), and Belift Lab says the album declares that they will no longer pour their hearts and time into a relationship that gives nothing back. In the "BURNING" version concept film on the HYBE LABELS YouTube channel, Wonhee wipes away tears and then strikes a teddy bear.11,12,13,14
  • Encore concerts. On October 17–18 ILLIT holds ILLIT LIVE 'PRESS START♥' ENCORE in KOREA at Inspire Arena in Incheon and is set to perform a special stage. Its first tour, PRESS START♥, was announced with 14 shows in seven cities in Korea and abroad, and its Seoul, five Japanese and Hong Kong dates were reported as sold out.8,12,14
  • Fourth mini album and a collaboration. On April 30, 2026 at 6 p.m. ILLIT released its fourth mini album, MAMIHLAPINATAPAI, with the title track "It's Me." Sports Kyunghyang reported that "ICONIC BY MISTAKE," a single with LE SSERAFIM and KATSEYE, reached No. 38 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.9,12
  • Her own variety show. Wonhee Is Twenty, a Coupang Play reality show in which Wonhee works through her twenty-year-old bucket list with older women guests, was announced to premiere on June 6, 2026 at 4 p.m. The list included a part-time job, watching a late-night horror film alone and a day trip.10
8,9,10,11,12,13,14

How to read this page

Name spellings are reproduced exactly as used by the ILLIT Japan official site and each outlet, and spellings not confirmed in official materials are marked as such. Where outlets disagree, as on her training period, both versions are given. Chart positions and schedules are as of each article's date, and this page will be updated after the fifth mini album is released. The group's full history is in the Hallyu Wiki article on ILLIT, and hers in the article on Wonhee.

Related articles

Wonhee Illit Hybe Enhypen Le Sserafim Katseye IU

Sources

  1. press 동행미디어 시대, 하이브 막내딸 아일릿 3월 데뷔, 르세라핌·뉴진스 뒤 이을까, 2024-02-21
  2. press 더블유 코리아(W Korea), 르세라핌, 뉴진스 다음은 아일릿, 2024-03-16
  3. press 노컷뉴스, [현장EN:]"5세대 아이돌은 아일릿…준비한 모든 것 보여드릴게요", 2024-03-25
  4. press ABEMA TIMES, 【ILLIT（アイリット）】メンバー5名のプロフィール紹介 『R U Next？（アーユーネクスト／アユネク）』から誕生, 2024-04-02
  5. press マイナビニュース, ILLIT(アイリット)のメンバープロフィールを年齢順に紹介! 誕生日や経歴は?, 2024-06-06
  6. press Marie Claire Taiwan, ILLIT女團5位成員介紹！出道曲〈Magnetic〉MV破1.5億點擊, 2024-09-24
  7. official Weverse Magazine, 원희가 그려내는 ‘원희다움’, 2026-03-16
  8. press Sports Kyunghyang, ‘Second Debut Anniversary’ ILLIT “We want to surprise everyone”, 2026-03-25
  9. press 스포츠경향, ‘4월 30일 컴백’ 아일릿, 미니 4집 프로모션 캘린더 공개, 2026-04-07
  10. press 스포츠경향, ‘원희는 스무살’ 아일릿 원희의 버킷리스트는?, 2026-05-14
  11. press THE FIRST TIMES, ILLIT、ミニアルバム『BREAK EVEN』リリース決定！前作『It's Me』の大ヒットの熱気冷めやらぬ中カムバック, 2026-09-14
  12. press Sports Kyunghyang, ILLIT to release fifth mini album ‘BREAK EVEN’ on October 26, 2026-09-15
  13. press 일간스포츠, 아일릿, 미니 5집 콘셉트 필름 첫 공개…확 달라진 이미지, 2026-09-29
  14. press Sports Kyunghyang, ILLIT member Wonhee, from tears to sudden calm, 2026-10-04
  15. official ILLIT JAPAN OFFICIAL SITE, PROFILE, 2026-10-17
Cite this page

“ILLIT's Wonhee: who is she, how is her name written, and what is she doing in 2026?.” Hallyu Wiki. https://hallyu.wiki/en/guides/wonhee-faq/ (Retrieved 2026-10-17).

How this article was made: read official statements, court/regulator records and at least two independent outlets; community posts are used only as attention signals. Written by Hallyu Wiki editors with AI assistance — check the sources. Request a correction