Such a sad news for NCTzens as members Sungchan and Shotaro will be departing the Kpop boy group NCT almost three years after they were first introduced.
In a statement on Wednesday, their label SM Entertainment said the two will be parting from the megaband and will debut in a new boy group that will be launched in 2023.
"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," the statement read.
"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," SM said
The announcement comes. week after another member, Lucas, depart from the group.
Following Sungchan and Shotaro's exit, NCT, which was originally poised to be a group with unlimited members, has been trimmed down to 20 members with NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, and NCT DoJaeJung as its official sub-units.
In a video released Wednesday on SM's YouTube channel, CEO Jang Cheol Hyuk shared more details on the new groups the label will debut within the year.
Together with Sungchan and Shotaro, Eunseok and Seunghan of the pre-debut team SM Rookies will also debut in the new group. They will be joined by "members of Korean and American nationalities."
He added that SM was also planning to launch a new girl group in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Established in 1995, SM Entertainment is home to a number of successful K-pop acts, including BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet and aespa.
