DONGKIZ Changes Group Name + Announces Wondae's Departure And Addition Of New Members

DONGKIZ has announced a number of important changes for their future activities as a group.

On March 18, DONGKIZ’s agency Dongyo Entertainment officially announced that the group would be changing their name to DKZ ahead of their upcoming comeback in April. The agency also announced that Wondae, who is currently on hiatus due to an injury, will ultimately be leaving the group due to his health.

Munik, who is also on hiatus at the moment due to psychological anxiety, will not be leaving the group—but he will be sitting out DKZ’s upcoming comeback in order to focus on his recovery.

Additionally, DKZ will be adding three new members to the group ahead of their upcoming return.

Dongyo Entertainment’s full statement is as follows:

Hello.
This is Dongyo Entertainment.

First, we sincerely thank all the fans who always support and care for DONGKIZ.

We would like to make an announcement regarding the future of Wondae and Munik, who are currently on hiatus, as well as DONGKIZ’s plans for group activities.

1. Regarding the future activities of Wondae and Munik, who are currently resting due to their health

Following his injury, Wondae took time to rest and engaged in deep, serious discussions with our agency about his future activities. However, due to his doctor’s opinion that he would continue to need consistent rehabilitation in the future, it has ultimately been decided that he will leave the group.

Munik also took time to rest in order to recover his health, and he discussed his [potential] return to activities with us for a long time. Ahead of this next comeback, we checked on Munik’s condition and cautiously proposed that he return to his activities, and he himself also carefully debated the matter for a long time. However, we will respect his opinion that he is not yet fully recovered enough to resume his activities, and so it has been decided that he will not be participating in the group’s upcoming promotions.

Although both members’ group activities with DONGKIZ are important, each member’s health and opinion must be our top priority. Therefore, after discussions with all of the members, we have decided to respect the opinions of the two members.

2. Regarding DONGKIZ’s future group activities

First, a change in the group’s name:
As you can see in the official logo that was just released not long ago, starting from this upcoming comeback in April 2022, DONGKIZ will be greeting you under the new official group name DKZ.

Second, the addition of new members:
DKZ has recruited three new members who will be promoting together with Kyoungyoon, Jaechan, and Jonghyeong.

Instead of thinking of DONGKIZ and DKZ as two separate groups, we ask that you think of them as one group that links the members’ and fans’ memories of the past together with their hopes for the future. Please give them lots of love and support.

We know that following last year’s sudden announcement of Wondae and Munik going on hiatus, fans have been worried for a long time while nervously awaiting another announcement. Additionally, while we were aware that many people wanted the group to resume activities with all five members, it was not a matter that could be decided right away, in a single moment, or an easy decision that we could make in haste, which is why it took so long for us to make an announcement. We sincerely apologize to the fans who must have felt frustrated because they didn’t know what was going on for a long time.

Dongyo Entertainment wishes for both Wondae and Munik to make speedy recoveries, and we hope that the fans will send warm support and encouragement to the members, who are preparing to take a leap once again as DKZ.

Thank you.

Meanwhile, several of DONGKIZ’s past songs have recently been belatedly climbing up the Korean music charts following Jaechan’s starring turn in the hit BL drama “Semantic Error.”

Wishing Wondae and the DKZ members all the best in their future endeavors!

Watch Jaechan in “Semantic Error” with subtitles below:

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