Miyeon was the (G)I-DLE member who was reportedly expected to debut as part of BLACKPINK. Before joining Cube Entertainment, she trained under YG Entertainment from approximately 2010 to 2015.
During that period, Miyeon was associated with YG’s pre-debut trainee lineup, which was being developed before BLACKPINK’s 2016 debut. She ultimately left the company after complications surrounding her debut plans and later joined Cube Entertainment. She debuted with (G)I-DLE on May 2, 2018, as the group’s main vocalist.
The story is often simplified into “Miyeon was a BLACKPINK member,” but that is not accurate. She never officially debuted with BLACKPINK; she was a former YG trainee who was widely reported to have been considered for, or expected to join, the eventual group.
BLACKPINK debuted with Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. Miyeon instead became one of the defining vocalists of (G)I-DLE, whose debut came nearly two years later.