THE BOYZ Begin New Era With 9 Members and Multiple Agencies

THE BOYZ Begin a New Chapter With 9 Members and Multiple Agencies

THE BOYZ are not following the conventional K-pop rule that every member must belong to the same company.

Following a contract dispute with their former agency, nine members have established a new structure designed to protect the group while giving each artist greater freedom over individual activities.

Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo and Eric will conduct group promotions through the newly established Seven Eight Records, also known as 78 Records.

Their acting, solo music and other personal projects will be managed separately through their respective agencies.

It is a complicated arrangement, but its message is simple: the members want THE BOYZ to continue.

Seven Eight Records Will Manage the Group

Seven Eight Records announced on September 14 that it would take responsibility for the nine members’ group activities.

The newly incorporated label said it would fully support THE BOYZ and work closely with the members as they begin their next chapter.

The name “78” represents the company’s goal of continuously creating new possibilities while remaining focused on the essential value of music and artists.

More importantly, the people leading the label are not strangers to THE BOYZ. According to the announcement, its co-CEOs worked with the group for more than a decade, beginning with the casting process and continuing through its debut and major career milestones.

That history may give the members something particularly valuable after a turbulent year: a management team that already understands the group’s identity.

Group Activities and Solo Careers Will Be Separated

Under the new system, Seven Eight Records will oversee releases, performances and other projects involving THE BOYZ as a group.

Individual members, however, have signed with agencies that specialize in different areas of entertainment.

Younghoon joined Namoo Actors, while Hyunjae signed with Management Siseon. Juyeon moved to Ace Factory, and Q joined Peach Company. These agencies are expected to support their growing acting careers.

Sunwoo signed with AT AREA, while Eric joined GRID Entertainment to pursue music and other individual projects.

Jacob has already released his first solo album, “j.,” and Q has moved into acting through the MBC Plus drama “My Favorite Debut.” Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon and Eric have also met fans through individual fan events.

The arrangement allows each member to build a career suited to his strengths without requiring THE BOYZ to disband.

Why Are Only 9 Members Listed?

THE BOYZ debuted in 2017 and most recently promoted with 10 members following Ju Haknyeon’s departure in 2025.

However, New is not included in the agreement announced by Seven Eight Records.

When the other nine members notified ONE HUNDRED that they were terminating their exclusive contracts in February 2026, New reportedly did not participate in that notice or the subsequent court application.

As a result, he was also absent from the list of members joining Seven Eight Records for group activities.

The Seoul Central District Court granted an injunction requested by the nine members in April, suspending the effect of their exclusive contracts with ONE HUNDRED while the dispute proceeded.

New’s future status within the group has not been fully clarified through the new label announcement. It would therefore be premature to describe him as having officially left THE BOYZ based only on his absence from the contract.

For now, Seven Eight Records has confirmed group activities involving the nine named members.

The New Beginning Follows a Difficult Contract Dispute

All 10 members moved to ONE HUNDRED in December 2024 after leaving their previous agency.

The relationship later deteriorated. Nine members notified the company of their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts in February 2026 and applied for an injunction to suspend the agreements.

In April, the court granted their request. The ruling allowed the nine members to proceed independently while the legal dispute continued.

Because the matter involves contractual claims between the artists and their former agency, the injunction should not be treated as a final judgment resolving every issue between the parties. It did, however, give the members the legal space to begin building their next management structure.

The formation of Seven Eight Records now turns that temporary freedom into a clearer career plan.

Sangyeon’s Return Signals the Group’s Restart

The timing of the announcement is also significant.

Leader Sangyeon is scheduled to complete his military service on September 16. Later that evening, THE BOYZ are expected to appear together on MBC Radio’s “Idol Radio.”

The appearance will give fans one of their first opportunities to see the group together after months of uncertainty surrounding its contracts and future.

Sangyeon’s return also restores an important source of leadership as the members attempt to coordinate activities across multiple companies.

Managing nine schedules will not be simple. Acting projects, solo releases, brand commitments and overseas work could make full-group promotions increasingly difficult.

That is why Seven Eight Records will have a central role. Its success will depend on whether it can coordinate with each member’s individual agency and create realistic periods for group comebacks, concerts and fan activities.

A New K-Pop Management Model

THE BOYZ’s plan reflects a broader change in how established K-pop groups survive after their original contracts end.

In the traditional model, members often had to choose between renewing together or leaving for separate careers. Once they joined different agencies, group activities could become rare or disappear completely.

The new model separates two questions that were once treated as the same:

Who manages the individual artist?

Who manages the group?

For THE BOYZ, the answers are now different.

This structure gives actors such as Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon and Q access to specialized management while allowing music-focused members to develop their own identities. Seven Eight Records, meanwhile, preserves a single home for the group.

The strategy offers flexibility, but it will require unusually strong cooperation among companies that may have different priorities.

“Our Desire to Stay Together Never Changed”

Through the new label, the members said their commitment to remaining together had been consistent from the beginning.

They explained that they especially wanted to reassure THE B, their official fandom, after fans spent months waiting and worrying about the group’s future.

The members promised to work hard in their individual positions while continuing the time and memories they have built as THE BOYZ.

That statement is more than a comforting message.

It establishes the purpose of their new system. Separate agencies are not being presented as the gradual beginning of a breakup. They are being used as the foundation for keeping the group alive while allowing nine careers to develop in different directions.

THE BOYZ have survived lineup changes, military service and a public contract dispute. Their next challenge may be the most complicated yet: proving that a K-pop group can remain united without every member standing under the same corporate roof.