Five members of CUBE Entertainment boyband PENTAGON have left the agency, it has confirmed in an official statement.
The group debuted under the label as a 10-member outfit in 2016 and continued as a nine-piece following the departure of E’Dawn – now known as soloist Dawn – in 2018.
- READ MORE: Kino on solo debut ‘Pose’ and his artistic journey: “I still want to broaden my perspective”
In the statement released today (October 9), CUBE announced the departure from the label of singers Yeo One and Yan An, and rappers Yuto, Kino and Wooseok. “We have held lengthy and honest conversations with the PENTAGON members ahead of the expiration of their contracts,” the statement read (translated by Koreaboo).
“After careful considerations, we have concluded our exclusive contracts with Yeo One, Yan An, Yuto, Kino, Wooseok. We would like to express our deepest gratitude towards Yeo One, Yan An, Yuto, Kino, Wooseok for being with us for the past seven years and we will always wish them happiness.”
[공지] 펜타곤 여원, 옌안, 유토, 키노, 우석 전속계약 종료 안내 pic.twitter.com/J6k5zRgmLZ
— PENTAGON·펜타곤 (@CUBE_PTG) October 9, 2023
It added: “Please send your encouragement and support to Yeo One, Yan An, Yuto, Kino, Wooseok who are starting a new chapter in their lives.”
Although the statement did not confirm whether the five departing members will still be a part of PENTAGON, Yeo One shared a letter on his Instagram that implied he would still be an active member of the group. “Even though I am saying goodbye to CUBE Entertainment, I will always be with Universe [PENTAGON’s fanbase name] as a member of PENTAGON, just like now,” he wrote in Korean.
“As a member of PENTAGON, I will become Yeo Chang-gu [his real name] and Yeo One who always strives and grows so that PENTAGON can shine in any situation,” the star added. The other departing members have yet to publicly comment on the news.
Earlier this year, Yan An took part in a Chinese reality television competition called Qing Nian Pai Ji Hua (which loosely translates to ‘Youth Group Project’). He appeared on the show alongside former CLC member Elkie, Long Yun Zhu from the girl group NAME under Yuehua Entertainment, Huang Wen Jin of JYP Entertainment’s Chinese boyband Project C and former Produce Camp 101 contestant Huang Kun.
Meanwhile, Kino made his solo debut last year with ‘Pose’ and told NME that the single started life as “[extra] content”. “I started working and then my bandmates and my company, Cube [Entertainment], suggested that it was about time for me to release a solo,” he said. “So I [thought] I might as well do it.”
The post Five members of PENTAGON confirmed to leave CUBE Entertainment appeared first on NME.
