SM Entertainment also announced plans for NCT's final subunit, whose members will be selected through a pre-debut reality show. MANILA, Philippines – Buckle up NCTzens, because SM Entertainment just announced a series of changes for K-pop group NCT! The music label announced on Wednesday, May 24, that idols Sungchan and Shotaro will be leaving NCT and debuting in a new SM boy group. "As NCT members, Sungchan and Shotaro gave great performances. However, they will be closing their episode with NCT and debuting with a new boy group starting in 2023." Sungchan and Shotaro debuted as new members of NCT in 2020. NCT's second full-length album Resonance Pt. one. According to SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheol-hyuk, the decision was made after "long discussion with the members" and taking into account "the members' opinions and the musical pursuit of each team." In a video about SM's new intellectual property strategy as part of the company's development plan, SM 3.0, the CEO said, "We offer our sincere apologies and gratitude to the two artists who have been patiently waiting for their teams to be formed for a long time." said. play video “We also ask NCT fans to generously understand the decision,” he continued. Jang also revealed that the company will introduce a new system for NCT "NCT's newest group will be the last to be part of NCT's endless expansion. Aiming to form a group with a distinctive worldview, the group will "increase the number of Japanese members, introduce new members, and share their debut journey with fans." The CEO also shared that SM Entertainment will soon announce that two SMROOKIES members, one Korean and one Japanese, will be part of NCT's new group. Trainees selected from a pre-debut reality show will be joining NCT's latest subunit. No further details have been released about the pre-debut reality show. Jang also stated that Shohei, who was promoted as part of SMROOKIES, will not be joining NCT's new team due to health reasons. In the same video, he announced that his new boy group featuring Jang, Sungchan, and Shotaro will also include Eunseok and Seunghan, who were previously introduced as SMROOKIES or pre-debut trainees. The drama will also feature members of Korean and American nationality, but no further information has been provided about the members in question. Jang said the debut of the new boy group will mark the beginning of the "SM 3.0 era". However, the exact dates for the group's debut are not available. In addition, the "SM 3.0" era also plans to debut a new girl group in the fourth quarter of 2023. Introduced in the March 2023 showcase, the trainees will be part of the girl group. “We seek continued love and support for our new teams and members,” Jang said. SM Entertainment; TVXQ is home to some of K-pop's biggest groups like Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, EXO, and Red Velvet. – With reports from Cheska LingadRappler Cheska Lingad is a Rapper trainee Gotopnews.com