Even overnight thunder and a steady spring drizzle over Seoul could not stop a crowd of fans from welcoming Wanna One, the once disbanded boy band, as it returned for the first time in seven years.

That meant that it had been seven years since Ryu, a longtime Wanna One fan who wished to be identified only by her surname, last pulled out her official light stick for the 11-member group.

Ryu was a teenager during the group’s heyday from 2017 through 2019. Now an adult, she arrived at 8 a.m. on Monday to wait for the 10 a.m. fan meet and greet outside CJ ENM’s headquarters in western Seoul.

“It was totally worth it,” Ryu said, smiling as she stood in a raincoat after enduring three hours in the drizzling rain.

Although her favorite member, Kang Daniel, was absent from the event due to his military duties, Ryu was still thrilled to see the boy band again after nearly a decade.

“I haven’t really been into K-pop since Wanna One [disbanded] because life got hectic,” she said. “I’ve been pretty far removed from fan activities, but since I happened to live nearby, I decided to come.”

Hundreds of fans were already at the venue when Ryu passed by the site the night before, she added.

Wanna One was formed through the second season of Mnet’s smash hit audition program, “Produce 101” (2016-19). That season became a cultural sensation, with 16 million votes cast during its finale, launching the 11 winning contestants to immediate stardom upon the group’s debut.

The band was active for about a year and a half, during which they released several hits, such as “Energetic” (2017) and “Beautiful” (2017), before officially disbanding in January 2019.

Wanna One debuted with 11 members: Kang, Park Ji-hoon, Lee Dae-hwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Yoon Ji-sung, Hwang Min-hyun, Bae Jin-young and Ha Sung-woon. Since the group’s disbandment, the members have pursued their own careers across music and acting. Lai, however, retired from performing in 2014 to pursue filmmaking.

Wanna One’s agency CJ ENM, which runs Mnet, recently announced the group’s reunion, which will include the reality program “Wanna One Go: Back to Base,” set to premiere on April 28.

Fans, who had been waiting at the venue for hours, had to wait an additional 20 minutes after the clock struck 10 a.m. before the members finally appeared.

While all 11 members left handwritten messages for fans on social media ahead of the show’s premiere, only nine were present for the meet and greet. Kang was absent due to military service, while Lai remained in China. In their place, life-size standing panels of the two members were displayed beside the group.

Dressed in outfits resembling Korean school uniforms, reminiscent of their “Produce 101” days, the members greeted fans, briefly performed “It’s Me” (2017), the theme song from “Produce 101,” and took turns reciting Park Ji-hoon’s iconic lines from his recent film, “The King’s Warden.”

“While each of us has been busy — some filming drama series, and others pursuing group or solo activities — we came together instantly to reunite as Wanna One,” said Hwang. “I was so nervous because it’s been a while. I never expected so many people to show up, so I’m truly grateful to everyone.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]