Jae-hwan participated in Produce 101 Season 2 as one of the five "Individual Trainees", or trainees not signed under an agency, in the season.[11] He quickly garnered attention for his strong vocal skills during the show's first evaluation, performing Super Junior's "Sorry, Sorry".[12] He continued to impress the audiences in his subsequent performances of I.O.I's "Downpour" and of the original song "Never", and became one of the top vocal standouts of this season.[13][14] In the final, Jae-hwan finished fourth with 1,051,735 votes, securing him a spot as a member of Wanna One.[2] He is the highest ranking "Individual Trainee" from both seasons and the only one to end up in the top 11.[15]