Sungchan and Shotaro are moving to a new group. SM Entertainment officially announced that the two newest members of NCT are leaving to promote as part of the agency’s upcoming group.

Sungchan And Shotaro Officially Leaving NCT For New SM Entertainment Boy Group

SM Entertainment issued a statement regarding Sungchan and Shotaro’s status in NCT. The company revealed that the idols, who joined the group in 2020, will join a new group. This is a new development considering that the two were expected to join the next NCT unit.

“As NCT members, SUNGCHAN and SHOTARO have presented wondrous performances,” the statement read.

“However, they will be closing their chapter with NCT and debuting in a new boy group that will launch in 2023,” it continued. “We express our deepest apologies and appreciation for the fans that have been supporting and eagerly waiting for the to debut as part of the new NCT group.”

The statement also revealed new details about the next NCT subunit.

“NCT’s newest group will become the final group to be a part of NCT’s infinite expansion, so we aim to launch one with a distinct worldview that is truly representative of a regional identity,” it read. “In alignment with this, we will be increasing the number of Japanese members, unveiling new members and sharing their debut journey with the fans.”

Jung Sungchan and Osaki Shotaro debuted as part of NCT on October 12, 2020. They were featured as part of the group project NCT 2020 and participated in the album ‘NCT 2020 Resonance Pt. 1’. SM Entertainment initially planned for the two idols to become a part of a new NCT unit.

Sungchan and Shotaro’s departure comes shortly after Lucas’ exit from NCT. Earlier this month, Lucas Wong decided to leave NCT and the subunit WayV. Lucas will pursue a career as a solo artist represented by SM Entertainment.