All members of the group will be leaving their original agency and ‘transferring’ to another powerful agency. However, it is uncertain whether they will be able to continue using the group name that has referred to them for the past 7 years. It is THE BOYZ.

The group THE BOYZ will be moving to a new nest with 100, a producing company led by Chairman Cha Ga-won, as a ‘full 11-member group’. The transfer will take place in mid-December when their 7-year exclusive contract with their original agency, IST Entertainment, expires.

The case of ‘group transfer as a whole’ is rare as it usually overlaps with the contract renewal that comes 7 years after an idol‘s debut, and it is also drawing attention as it went smoothly without any significant noise other than the rumors of ‘transfer’.

With the expiration of their exclusive contracts with their original agencies about a month away, it is also rare for their new agencies to make the transfer official. 100 recently released an official statement, saying, “We will be able to create a new chapter for the members of The Boyz ‘together’. We will not spare support so that they can fully display their ‘capabilities’, as well as their existing group activities.”100 is a K-pop producing company founded by Chairman Cha Ga-won of the Piak Group, and is also the parent company of Big Planet Made Entertainment, INB100, and Million Market. ‘Sister artists’ include I&B100’s Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, and Big Planet Made Entertainment‘s SHINee’s Taemin, Lee Moo-jin, and Ha Sung-woon.

Meanwhile, with the ‘orderly’ transfer of all members of The Boyz, new interest has emerged both inside and outside the industry as to whether the group name ‘The Boyz’, which has referred to them for 7 years, can continue to be used in the future. The ‘The Boyz trademark’ is held by their original agency, IST Entertainment. In relation to this, One Hundred has confirmed that they will soon begin negotiations with their original agency, IST, regarding the transfer of the trademark, as well as whether to use ‘The Boyz’.

If the negotiations fail, there may be a situation where ‘The Boyz cannot be called The Boyz’.

In preparation for this, their new agency One Hundred has also reportedly prepared alternatives such as ‘The Boys’(The Boys), ‘The New Boyz’(The New Boyz), and ‘TNBZ, and is reportedly applying for trademark rights.


Reporter Heo Min-nyeong mignon@donga.com