TREASURE confirms 10-member comeback as 2 members continue hiatus

MANILA, Philippines – TREASURE confirmed on Wednesday, July 13, that they will continue their scheduled activities as a 10-member group for the rest of 2022.

“TREASURE has been promoting as a 10-member group due to personal reasons and health of the individual members. It has been decided that the group will continue to do so for their comeback this summer and tour, which will continue until the end of the year,” the group’s agency, YG Entertainment, wrote in their official statement, as translated by Soompi.

The 10 members who will remain active and promote with the group are Choi Hyun-suk, Jihoon, Yoshi, Junkyu, Yoon Jae-hyuk, Asahi, Doyoung, Haruto, Park Jeong-woo, and So Jung-hwan.

Moreover, YG Entertainment also announced that members Bang Ye Dam and Mashiho will not be joining the group’s upcoming summer comeback and tour. This follows the agency’s initial announcement in May of the two members’ hiatus. According to YG Entertainment, Bang Ye Dam will be working on his career as a producer and studying music for the time being, while Mashisho will be extending his break in Japan due to health and personal reasons.

Despite the internal difficulties that the group is facing, YG Entertainment said that the group understands why their fans are upset. “The remaining 10 members are putting in all their efforts in preparations for their upcoming activities so that fans won’t feel the absences of the other two members,” the group assured them.

The statement also mentioned that since TREASURE will be celebrating their second debut anniversary in August, fans can expect an “even better music as a more mature group.” They also asked for TREASURE MAKERS’ great support and encouragement.

TREASURE is a South Korean-Japanese boy group which debuted in 2020 with their single album The First Step: Chapter One. The group is set to perform in the Philippines for the first time in the 2022 K-POP Masterz concert happening on June 29. – with reports from Elle Guison/Rappler.com

Elle Guison is a Rappler intern.