Awww, The Wanna One Members Got Emotional Over Maknae Lai Guanlin's Video Call

As the Internet says, 2026 is the year of nostalgia. Production houses are creating reboots of our beloved TV shows and films, fashion trends are coming back, and of course, our favorite stars are reuniting, whether onstage or just a casual hangout posted on social media.

Wanna One gets it. Because this year, the disbanded South Korean boy group decided to reunite and star in a docuseries altogether, and to release a special single called "WE WANNA GO." But ahead of their single's release, the group made the Internet cry because of the most recent episode of their show, We Wanna Go: Back To Base.

Originally consisting of 11 members, there are nine members participating in the reunion project, namely, Ji Sung, Sungwoon, Minhyun, Seongwoo, Jae Hwan, Jihoon, Woojin, Jinyoung, and Dae Hwi. Don't fret, Kang Daniel isn't joining since he's currently serving in the military, and well, Lai Guanlin had pursued a different path from the other members, but was able to share a tear-jerking video call with the active members!

That's where the tears started rolling. Guanlin is the youngest (a.k.a. maknae) of the group, and was Wanna One's only Taiwanese member. When the group disbanded in 2019, Guanlin pursued his actor-idol career in China.

Years later, Guanlin retired from being an idol actor. Instead, he's currently a film director and living a much quieter life. But despite leaving behind the idol life, he never forgot about his time as a Wanna One member.

"I joined a Chinese film production company, and while working there, I'm learning about scripts and mainly working on short films. I feel secure now that I'm earning a salary," he told Sungwoon, who met up with him in China. Their time together was recorded for the show, and Guanlin left a video message for the remaining members.

Guanlin also shared how he got a tattoo of the numbers, "0807," which translates to August 7, the day of Wanna One's debut. "It's because I still have lingering feelings for Korea," he noted about the tattoo. "If there's ever a day in my life worth celebrating or personally commemorating, I think I'll say it’s August 7. It's the day my hard work paid off with a good result."

At this point, members like Minhyun and Jihoon broke into tears while watching Guanlin. The members felt sad and happy seeing Guanlin growing and making a name of his own in the cutthroat industry.

"I really like where I am now. I like the version of myself that is moving forward slowly. Rather than becoming a singer too quickly, I prefer growing step by step through my own efforts," Guanlin said.

In his video call, the 25-year-old film director expressed how much he misses his Wanna One brothers. However, coming back to television and actively promoting is not something he can do anymore. "I miss you all so much. I really want to be with you guys, but appearing on TV again, it honestly feels like a burden to me now... Let's meet privately soon. I love you so much," he said, bringing the members to cry more.

Wanna One is an 11-member K-pop boy group that debuted on August 7, 2017. The members were selected through the survival reality show Produce 101, where trainees competed for a place in the final lineup. While some members were newcomers, others had already debuted in existing boy groups and joined the competition in hopes of reaching a wider audience. However, their participation came with the understanding that they would eventually return to their original groups once Wanna One's contract ended.

The group quickly became one of the biggest acts of their generation, earning massive popularity through their energetic music, powerful performances, and strong stage presence. Beyond their talent, fans were drawn to the genuine chemistry and close bond the members built with one another, despite having started as competitors on the show.

Throughout their career, Wanna One released several hit songs, including Energetic, Beautiful, and I PROMISE YOU (I.P.U.). Despite their immense success and global fanbase, the group's contract was temporary, and Wanna One officially concluded activities in early 2019, leaving a lasting impact on the K-pop industry and fans worldwide.

The lyric video for their "WE WANNA GO" single is now out!