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K-pop: Sungchan, Shotaro to leave NCT, debut in new group

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Shotaro and Sungchan are leaving K-pop group NCT to debut in another boy band, according to label SM Entertainment. Photo: Instagram/@_shotaroo_" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/05/24/shotaro-sungchan-sanrio-ig-5242023.jpg"/><figcaption>Shotaro and Sungchan are leaving K-pop group NCT to debut in another boy band, according to label SM Entertainment. <em>Photo: Instagram/@_shotaroo_</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>(<strong>UPDATE</strong>) K-pop artists Shotaro and Sungchan are leaving the megaband NCT to debut in another boy group, their management company announced Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;As NCT members, Sungchan and Shotaro have presented wondrous performances. However, they will be closing their chapter with NCT and debuting in a new boy group that will launch in 2023,&quot; SM Entertainment, a leading label in the K-pop industry, said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;We express our deepest apologies and appreciation for the fans that have been supporting and eagerly waiting for them to debut as part of a new NCT group,&quot; SM said.<br/> </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><div dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/dk5e74Pegl">pic.twitter.com/dk5e74Pegl</a></div>— NCT (@NCTsmtown) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/1661235722605690881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The pair are the latest members to depart NCT after Lucas Wong left in May.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/10/23/k-pop-lucas-wong-announces-departure-from-nct-wayv">K-pop star Lucas Wong announces departure from NCT, WayV</a></li></ul><p>The two boys were introduced as NCT members in 2020, taking part in the group&#x27;s &quot;Resonance&quot; album.</p><p>With their departure, NCT has been trimmed into a 20-man act, whose members are divided into various sub-units: NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, and NCT DoJaeJung.</p><p>NCT, which SM launched in 2016, was supposed to have an &quot;infinite&quot; number of members, meaning members would be continuously added over the years. </p><p>But in February, SM Entertainment Co-CEO Chris Lee said NCT&#x27;s &quot;infinite expansion is scheduled to end&quot; with the debut of a Japan-based team this year.</p><p>&quot;NCT&#x27;s newest group will become the final group to be a part of NCT&#x27;s infinite expansion so we aim to launch one with a distinctive worldview that is truly representative of a regional identity,&quot; SM said, talking about the Japan-based sub-unit in its statement on Sungchan and Shotaro.</p><p>&quot;In alignment with this, we will be increasing the number of Japanese members, unveiling new members and sharing their debut journey with the fans,&quot; it added.</p><div><strong>NEW GROUPS</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KqWyfGHc-3M?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>In a video released Wednesday on SM&#x27;s YouTube channel, CEO Jang Cheol Hyuk bared additional details on the company&#x27;s upcoming boy band.</p><p>Eunseok and Seunghan of the pre-debut team SM Rookies will also debut in the new group that includes Sungchan and Shotaro, said Jang.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="ko">[은석] 💎🌊💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EUNSEOK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EUNSEOK</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SMROOKIES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SMROOKIES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SR22B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SR22B</a> <a href="https://t.co/RgdWuImwVK">pic.twitter.com/RgdWuImwVK</a></p>— SMROOKIES (@smrookies) <a href="https://twitter.com/smrookies/status/1651240400756023301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="ko">[승한] 🐈‍⬛🐾🖤<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SEUNGHAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SEUNGHAN</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SMROOKIES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SMROOKIES</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SR22B?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SR22B</a> <a href="https://t.co/ErYtxUFc8D">pic.twitter.com/ErYtxUFc8D</a></p>— SMROOKIES (@smrookies) <a href="https://twitter.com/smrookies/status/1651240403763339265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>They will be joined by &quot;members of Korean and American nationalities,&quot; Jang said.</p><p>He added that SM was also planning to launch a new girl group in the fourth quarter of 2023.</p><p>Established in 1995, SM Entertainment is home to a number of successful K-pop acts, including BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls&#x27; Generation, SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet and aespa.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/15/22/k-pop-superstar-boa-i-have-a-long-way-to-go">Queen of K-pop? ‘I have a long way to go,’ says superstar BoA</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/12/13/22/k-pops-tvxq-surprised-in-first-ph-gig">K-pop duo TVXQ ‘surprised’ with fans in first PH gig</a></li></ul><div><strong>For more news and features on K-pop, K-drama, and K-stars, visit the<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/kcontents"> Hallyu Corner</a> microsite.</strong></div>

K-pop artists Shotaro and Sungchan are leaving the megaband NCT to debut in another boy group.

K-pop: Sungchan, Shotaro to leave NCT, debut in new group

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K-pop: Sungchan, Shotaro to leave NCT, debut in new group

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 24, 2023 02:08 PM PHT

|

Updated May 24, 2023 03:02 PM PHT

Read More:

K-pop

NCT

Shotaro

Sungchan

SM Entertainment

SM new boy group

NCT Tokyo

K-content

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