MAMAMOO's Wheein Wants Her Heyday Back, 5 Years After She Left the Label

Wheein cried on a fan livestream while saying she wishes she could return to MAMAMOO's peak years, and netizens immediately pointed out that she's the member who left the label in 2021. The clip is now circulating across Korean online communities, and the reaction is not sympathetic.

The broadcast ran last month on a fan community platform. Wheein appeared in casual clothes, ate on camera and chatted with fans, then mentioned that she cries easily. Tours, she said, set her off.

"I often get very emotional during tours," she said. "It leads to a lot of reflection, thinking about things that never even crossed my mind when I was in my early to mid-twenties, back when MAMAMOO was at the height of its popularity. I find myself wishing I could go back to that time."

She didn't pretend those years were all good. "To be honest, there were moments back then when I truly hated it. It was just so exhausting," she said, adding that constant momentum made her miss valuable things she might otherwise have gained. "I didn't have any breathing room back then. Looking back, it was tough, but also fun." She said she isn't sure she could do it all again if asked.

She also admitted to a private habit. When she drinks alone, she puts on old MAMAMOO videos, which she called her version of a drunk habit, and ends up crying by herself. She teared up as she said it.

Wheein then described telling Kim Shinyoung that she wanted to quit. Kim Shinyoung's reply, as Wheein recalled it: even if you want to quit now, a day will come when you miss this time. "Honestly, I didn't understand what she meant at the time," Wheein said. "Now, I truly realize how right she was." She looked visibly distressed while speaking.

The contradiction netizens fixed on

The comments went straight to the contract. Several asked why she would miss the group when she didn't renew, and others questioned whether she'd been drinking or called her emotions a rollercoaster. One asked if MAMAMOO is disbanding, another whether the group isn't still in its prime.

The facts they're pointing to are public. MAMAMOO debuted in 2014 as a four-piece of Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa, and built its name on vocals. Wheein left the company after her contract expired in 2021. Hwasa followed in 2023, moving to P NATION without renewing. After the 2022 promotions for Mumumumuch, the members focused on solo careers.

The four reunited after four years for the world tour MAMAMOO 2026 WORLD TOUR [4WARD]. It has been through Kuala Lumpur and was due in Tokyo on the 25th, and it ends in Taipei on November 28 and 29.

Whether the tears read as regret or just nostalgia from someone in the middle of a reunion tour is a fair question. Her own words stress how hard those years were, which doesn't sit neatly with either reading.

What theqoo users said

1. 1

   Look at other girl groups: the one who thinks she can do better without the team, leaves and leaves a mess behind is always the first to flop.

   806 upvotes, 5 downvotes▲806▼5
2. 2

   As someone who liked MAMAMOO, I think people loved the group as a complete unit, though Wheein's vocal tone really is charming. That praise seems to have inflated her ego and given her confidence she could make it solo. I don't know if there was conflict within the team or with the company, but she left first. MAMAMOO is polished and attractive as a whole, but on her own Wheein doesn't have the overwhelming performance or talent Hwasa has. It's a shame, because I think her peak would have lasted longer if she'd kept shining within MAMAMOO.

   508 upvotes, 9 downvotes▲508▼9
3. 3

   Apart from Hwasa, not one of them has succeeded individually.

   410 upvotes, 17 downvotes▲410▼17
4. 4

   As a group they have great visuals and synergy, but alone it's hard to succeed.

   49 upvotes, 0 downvotes▲49▼0
5. 5

   Isn't this the girl who kept pulling ugly faces and complaining about being an ordinary person? Just how big a top star did she think she was?

   43 upvotes, 0 downvotes▲43▼0