Sohye (소혜)

Kim Sohye emerged from one of Korean pop's most high-profile talent competitions, joining the eleven-member project group I.O.I following her appearance on Mnet's *Produce 101* in 2016. Though she was not among the frontrunners in terms of competition rankings, her presence in the group — and the scrutiny that accompanied it — made her one of the more talked-about figures to come out of the show's cycle.

Debut & Formation

I.O.I was assembled as a limited-run act from the *Produce 101* broadcast, with members drawn from trainees across multiple agencies. Sohye participated in both the main group and an I.O.I sub-unit, taking on vocalist and rapper roles. The group's lifespan was defined from the outset as temporary, which gave its activity a concentrated, compressed quality — a large volume of promotional work within a narrow window before members returned to their respective agencies or pursued independent paths.

Activities

After I.O.I concluded its run, Sohye moved toward acting. Her return to public attention came with the drama *Efficient Meeting of Singles*, in which she played a hotel intern alongside Han Ji-min. Coverage noted her chemistry with her co-star and described her portrayal as fresh and enthusiastic — a meaningful step for a performer navigating the transition from idol competition to dramatic work. That return followed a period marked by school bullying allegations, which had shadowed her public profile for roughly three years prior to the drama's airing.

A subsequent I.O.I comeback in 2026 placed her back on stage, where she discussed learning choreography from fellow former member Jeon Somi — who is two years her junior — and receiving guidance on her ending pose for the performance.

Legacy

Sohye's trajectory reflects a pattern familiar to acts that emerge from competition formats: an intense, condensed debut period followed by a more uncertain path toward a sustainable individual career. The bullying controversy that followed her I.O.I tenure complicated that path publicly, and her reappearance in *Efficient Meeting of Singles* represented a deliberate effort to reestablish herself on different terms. The material available does not yet support a definitive assessment of her standing, but the return to both scripted drama and a group reunion stage marks an active attempt to redefine the terms of her public presence.