Chiwoo officially left KINGDOM and his agency, GF Entertainment, one year after his debut.
Before KINGDOM started offering a different concept to K-pop fans, the group hyped them in 2020 by introducing its first three members –Dann, Louis, and Chiwoo.
Arthur, Ivan, Jahan, and Mujin were eventually added to the group before their debut on Jan. 9, 2021. The head of GF Entertainment, Ko Yoonyoung, explained that the members represent the seven kingdoms and seven kings.
However, they lost one of the kingdoms and kings with Chiwoo’s recent exit.
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Chiwoo Departs From KINGDOM, Agency
On Wednesday, KINGDOM’s agency GF Entertainment released a statement confirming Chiwoo’s exit from the group and the company.
Per the entertainment, the idol ended the contract and left the group due to personal issues.
“We are informing you that due to personal circumstances, KINGDOM member Chiwoo has ended his exclusive contract [with our agency] and is leaving the group. We apologize for giving fans and many other people cause for concern through this sudden news. From now on, KINGDOM will be promoting as a six-member group,” the statement continued.
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KINGDOM is now down to six members, only over a year since they debuted last year.
Following the announcement, KINGDOM’s agency said that the fan signing events on Friday and Sunday would be pushed through.
The remaining six members will continue their scheduled events. Meanwhile, fans who won Chiwoo’s personal video call signing event will receive a full refund.
Chiwoo Had Different Dream Before Becoming an Idol
Before his departure from the group, Chiwoo and KINGDOM once sat down for an interview with Bandwagon, where they were asked how they knew they wanted to become a K-pop idol.
According to Chiwoo, he originally did not want to join the industry at all.
“I was originally planning to become a soccer player, but BTS inspired me to dream of becoming a K-pop idol. Singing and dancing began to seem much cooler than playing soccer to me. That was my first step,” he said.
It remains unknown what Chiwoo’s plans are after leaving KINGDOM.
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