Seok Rakwon has officially departed from ATBO. His agency also announced the young idol’s decision to leave the group, confirming the sad reason for his departure.

IST Entertainment Announces Seok Rakwon Departure from ATBO

On May 6, IST Entertainment issued a statement confirming Seok’s departure from the boy group. According to the agency, the young idol has also chosen to prioritize his health after dealing with anxiety symptoms.

“In March of this year, Seok Rakwon went on hiatus due to anxiety symptoms and focused on recovering his health,” the statement read. “During his hiatus, we held in-depth discussions with Seok Rakwon about his future activities with the group and within the entertainment industry, but after careful discussion, the decision was made for him to focus more on his recovery with the artist’s health being the top priority.”

“Hence, Seok Rakwon concludes his activities as ATBO, and ATBO will continue activities with six members,” it added. “We once again apologize to fans who must have been surprised by the sudden news.”

“Please also show unchanging love and support for the six members who will spare no efforts in order to impress further,” the statement concluded.

Seok debuted as a member of ATBO back in 2022 after participating in IST Entertainment’s survival show “The Origin – A, B, Or What?”. Although Yang Dongwa was also initially expected to debut with the group, the agency later decided against it after his past misconduct when he was a student surfaced online. The group released their debut EP ‘The Beginning: 開花’ in July 2022. Their latest EP ‘Must Have’ was released in November last year.

Although it is unfortunate that Seok Rakwon will no longer be a part of ATBO, fans are also wishing for his speedy recovery and eventual return to the music industry. In the meantime, ATBO will promote with its six remaining members.