In the years since Produce 48 ended, a lot has happened to the trainees who competed on the show. We know what the winning girls—the 12 who became IZ*ONE—have been up to lately, but what about those who were eliminated before the finale?
Kim Hyunah was one such girl. She used to be a trainee signed to Collazoo Entertainment. She debuted in the short-lived group L.U.X. before going on the show, where she captivated viewers with her dancing, singing, and visuals. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts (which included a sultry dance performance of “Instruction” by Demi Lovato and Jax Jones), she was eliminated after the Position Evaluation. She left Produce 48 in 46th place.
It’s been three years since then, and Kim Hyunah is back in the headlines due to her transformation into a female internet broadcasting jockey. A broadcasting jockey is someone who goes on a site like AfreecaTV (which is one of South Korea’s most popular streaming sites) to do a live stream. The youth flock to these streams to see what their favorite BJ is up to. Some put on comedy skits, some do daily life vlogs, and others play video games.
Most female BJs become popular due to their visuals. Most of them, like Kim Hyunah, do racy content. She has been known to dance to sexy songs and dress in tight clothing on her live streams. A female BJ who’s willing to do things like that can make large amounts of money if she plays her cards right. On AfreecaTV, millions of dollars worth of “star balloons”—a digital currency used on the site—are exchanged back and forth every day. Viewers shower their favorite BJs with star balloons, which can be exchanged and withdrawn for cash.
Kim Hyunah already had a sizeable fanbase before she became a BJ, due to her time as an idol and a trainee. Her Produce 48 stint made her even more popular, and it seems she managed to parlay that popularity into a lucrative, successful career as a BJ.
Her social media accounts have also grown—she has 81,000 followers on Instagram, and her TikTok and YouTube accounts have well over 90,000.
