Teen Top's Chunji, Ricky part ways with TOP Media after 13 years

Boy band Teen Top's Chunji and Ricky ended their 13-year relationship with TOP Media but will continue their activities as members of the boy band, the agency said Thursday.

Teen Top's Chunji, left, and Ricky [YONHAP]

Boy band Teen Top's Chunji and Ricky ended their 13-year relationship with TOP Media but will continue their activities as members of the boy band, the agency said Thursday.

"The exclusive contract with Chunji and Ricky have ended," TOP Media said in a press release. "We agreed on continuing the partnership with the four members of Teen Top — Chunji, Ricky, Niel and Changjo — as a group."

Members Niel and Changjo left the agency in January 2022. Niel signed an exclusive contract with agency New Entry in August 2022, followed by Changjo signing an exclusive contract with Beat Interactive in June this year.

The band continued its activities as a group by dropping its album "Teen Top [4SHO]" on July 4, though two of the members were under different agencies.

The album was its first album in three years since its previous album, "To You 2020," was released on July 10, 2020.

Teen Top debuted in July 2010 with six members — C.A.P, Niel, Chunji, Changjo, Ricky and L.Joe — but became a four-member band after L.Joe quit in 2017 and C.A.P earlier this year. Changjo is currently serving in the military, which he started on Nov. 20. He is the third member of the band to begin his mandatory military service. Niel has not begun his mandatory military service yet.

The band also held solo concerts in October in Seoul and Taipei, Taiwan. The concert's title, "2023 Teen Top we gonna rock it drop it top it hey don't stop it pop it Live," is taken from the lyrics of Teen Top's 2013 hit song "Rocking."

The band is best known for tracks "Clap" (2010), "No More Perfume On You" (2011) and "Crazy" (2012).

To find out more about Chunji, Ricky and Teen Top, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]