fromis_9’s Jiwon Says Group Went Seven Years Without Income

fromis_9 member Jiwon has spoken about the group’s prolonged financial uncertainty, saying the members worked for roughly seven years without receiving income. Her comments offered a direct account of how a performing career can continue for years before producing meaningful earnings for the artists involved.

Jiwon discussed the experience during an August 29 appearance on JTBC’s Knowing Bros alongside Billlie’s Tsuki. Reflecting on fromis_9’s eighth year, she said the group had endured a difficult period because there was little or no income to distribute during its first seven years.

Ordinary expenses became a source of anxiety

When asked whether the members had missed settlement payments because no income was available, Jiwon confirmed that understanding. She said they continued working without pay and that she depended on an allowance from her mother to cover her personal needs.

The situation affected routine moments, not only major financial decisions. Jiwon recalled feeling nervous when paying for meals because she feared her card could be declined due to a low balance. That detail illustrated how the uncertainty followed her into daily life even while the group remained publicly active.

The COVID-19 pandemic made the problem more difficult by reducing opportunities for promotions and live performances. For an idol group still trying to establish stable earnings, fewer appearances and concerts meant fewer chances to build the activity needed to change its financial position.

Jiwon described herself on the program as the “Magician of Perseverance.” She said the members’ affection for fromis_9 helped them continue through setbacks. Asked whether they now receive settlements, she smiled and answered that they receive “a little, now.”

Persistence across lineup and agency changes

fromis_9 debuted in 2018 after being formed through Mnet’s Idol School. The group previously promoted under Pledis Entertainment. After the members’ exclusive contracts expired, the act reorganized as a five-member lineup and signed with Ascend, beginning another phase of its career.

The group’s recent releases provide context for Jiwon’s emphasis on persistence. The 2022 single “Stay This Way” earned five music-show wins, while “Supersonic” secured four in 2024. After the five-member reorganization, “LIKE YOU BETTER” topped music programs and remained on Melon’s Top 100 for three consecutive weeks.

fromis_9 also recorded results outside its familiar summer-pop lane. Its December remake single “White Longing” reached No. 5 on Melon’s Top 100 and took first place on several Korean music shows. The group’s full album Glow ME later added the title track “Vitamin ME” to its catalog.

A rare look at the economics behind idol activity

Jiwon’s account separates visible activity from personal income. Music releases, television appearances and performances can create the impression of a continuously successful career, but her remarks show that public exposure does not necessarily mean immediate or dependable earnings for individual members.

Her comments did not include a detailed accounting of the group’s revenue or expenses, and they should not be read as a full financial statement. They instead describe the lived effect of delayed or absent settlements: reliance on family support, anxiety over small purchases and uncertainty that continued across several years.

Jiwon is now expanding her individual activities as the fourth host of the web variety program Workdol and as Ali in the musical Hell’s Kitchen. Those roles sit alongside fromis_9’s continuing group work and reflect the broader range of opportunities available in the group’s current chapter.

By discussing the experience openly, Jiwon placed the group’s recent milestones against the less visible hardship that preceded them. Her story is ultimately one of endurance: the members stayed together because of their attachment to fromis_9, navigated industry and pandemic setbacks, and reached a point where at least some settlement income had begun to arrive.