Boy band Vanner signs with KLAP

Boy band Vanner, winners of JTBC's K-pop audition show "Peak Time," signed with KLAP Entertainment, the band's new agency announced Thursday. "KLAP Entertainment signed with Vanner, the final winners of JTBC ...

Boy band Vanner [KLAP]

Boy band Vanner, winners of JTBC's K-pop audition show "Peak Time," signed with KLAP Entertainment, the band's new agency announced Thursday.

"KLAP Entertainment signed with Vanner, the final winners of JTBC show' Peak Time,' and will be responsible for album production, promotion and management for the next three years," the agency said in a press release.

Vanner debuted in 2019 with five members, Taehwan, Yeonggwang, Hyeseong, GON and Ahxian. The band did not see commercial success with their releases before joining "Peak Time" this year. Known as Team 11:00 in the show, the boy band earned recognition for their top-tier performance skills in both vocals and dance. Being a boy band in a small agency, the boy band had also said that all members held part-time jobs to cover living costs.

"Peak Time," which ended in April, was an audition show with the aim of giving lesser-known boy bands a chance to reach their "peak" with a new album and large-scale promotion events, including a global showcase. Vanner also won the prize of 300 million won ($226,000) to help fund their future activities.

KLAP Entertainment, originally known as KLAP, is a subsidiary of the game developer NCSoft that specializes in K-pop content creation. The company changed to its current name last year and expanded its role in the management business.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]