Following the success of Mnet’s survival talent series Boys Planet, four more contestants from the show are set to turn their idol dreams into a reality.
YY Entertainment revealed on Monday, August 14 that Anthonny Iinuma, Haruto Maeda, Takuto Toyonaga, and Yuto Takano signed an exclusive contract with their label.
「BOYS PLANET」アントニー・タクト・ハルト・ユウト、今秋に日本デビュー決定 グループ名は「TOZ」
▼写真・記事詳細はこちらhttps://t.co/zQpLz5iBe7#飯沼アントニー #안토니 #ハルト #前田晴翔 #하루토 #トヨナガタクト #豊永拓斗 #타쿠토 #佑都 #유토 #YUTO #보이즈플래닛 #ボイプラ pic.twitter.com/ejsHydbo7R
— モデルプレス (@modelpress) August 14, 2023
The four Boys Planet alumni are confirmed to form the boy group TOZ, which stands for “To Our Zone.”
Additionally, the act is aiming to debut in Japan in the latter half of 2023. Final details about the debut album and date have yet to be disclosed.
Moreover, the agency shared that the upcoming group will promote both in Japan and Korea in the future.
As to why they chose these four members, YY Entertainment shared that despite not making it to the debut team, each still gained global popularity among fans for their charms and proficient Korean skills.
Following the news, TOZ started releasing updates from the members on their social media accounts.
[✦]
TOZ Official SNS OPEN
🔗https://t.co/r0kiRSRO9n
🔗https://t.co/mTBUKxdWx7#TOZ #티오지#YYEntertainment pic.twitter.com/jDQ9TnCkLS— TOZ (@TOZ_YYent) August 13, 2023
Although a new agency, YY Entertainment is home to B.A.P’s Bang Yong-guk, actor Bae Na-ra, and Lee Joo Ahn, among others.
Where are the ‘Boys Planet’ contestants?
Boys Planet, which started with 93 trainees, gave birth to the formation of ZEROBASEONE or ZB1.
The group’s members include Sung Han-bin, Kim Ji Woong, Zhang Hao, Seok Matthew, and Kim Tae-rae. Ricky, Kim Gyu-vin, Park Gun-wook, and Han Yu-jin are also part of the lineup.
ZB1 made their debut on July 10 with the release of their mini-album YOUTH IN THE SHADE. Shortly after, YOUTH IN THE SHADE set the record for being the best-selling debut album in K-pop history. Over 1,240,700 copies were sold in just 24 hours of sales.
ZB1 is a project group that will promote under WakeOne Entertainment, a CJ ENM subsidiary, for around two and a half years.
Meanwhile, seven contestants from Boys Planet will also debut as the boy group EVNNE under agency Jellyfish Entertainment.
The septet consists of Ji Yoon Seo, Keita, Lee Jung Hyun, Moon Jung Hyun, Park Han Bin, Park Ji Hoo, and Yoo Seung Eon.
Featured image: Anthony, Haruto, Takuto, and Yuto are forming the boy group TOZ. Credit: Twitter/The Hallyu News