Eunhyuk, Donghae, Kyuhyun leave SM Entertainment

Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun from boy band Super Junior will leave SM Entertainment for solo activities but will work with the agency for group activities, SM Entertainment said Friday. The other members of the veteran boy band — Leeteuk ...

Boy band Super Junior [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun from boy band Super Junior will leave SM Entertainment for solo activities but will work with the agency for group activities, SM Entertainment said Friday.

The other members of the veteran boy band — Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Siwon and Ryeowook — renewed their exclusive contracts with SM Entertainment.

“[Super Junior] who set multiple records throughout its career, solidifying its position as the legend of K-pop, yet again signed exclusive contracts with SM. Fully backed by the agency, Super Junior will open a new chapter of the boy band,” the agency said Friday in a statement.

“Super Junior will continue with both its group and solo activities in the future,” it said, adding that the band plans to meet its global fans with new music, a variety of performances and fan meetings within 2023.

“Eunhyuk, Donghae and Kyuhyun have decided to embark on their solo activities separately from SM Entertainment … We support their new endeavors and plan to closely communicate regarding matters of various group, unit and solo activities,” the agency said.

Super Junior debuted in 2005 with its full-length album “Super Junior05.” Kyuhyun joined the boy band in 2006 when the band dropped its first single “U” the following year, making Eunhyuk and Donghae depart the agency after 18 years and Kyuhyun after 17 years.

Super Junior released multiple hit tracks throughout its career, from “Sorry Sorry” (2009) to “U” (2006) and “Mr. Simple” (2011) and is considered one of the pioneering K-pop boybands of the 2000s, seeing popularity worldwide.

The media reported Friday that Eunhyuk and Donghae will establish their own label, whereas Kyuhyun was rumored to sign an exclusive contract with Antenna.

To find out more about Super Junior, visit Celeb Confirmed!

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