The reversal took less than twenty-four hours. On October 28, JTBC and fan outlets confirmed that all eight ATEEZ members would appear on “Knowing Bros” for a November episode—the group’s first full-team variety booking in months, timed to their ninth year since debut and a comeback cycle already in motion. By the morning of October 29, KQ Entertainment had corrected the record: Hongjoong and Wooyoung would not attend the recording.
The agency’s statement, posted to ATEEZ’s official fan platform, was brief and deliberately non-specific. “Hongjoong and Wooyoung were originally scheduled to appear on the show but were unfortunately unable to participate in the recording due to health reasons,” KQ Entertainment said. “We have prioritized our artists’ health and recovery, ensuring that they are given sufficient time to rest and recuperate” . No diagnosis, no recovery timeline, no indication of how long the two members will be sidelined.
What the statement did confirm is that the show will go on with six: Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, and Jongho. The episode is still set to air in November, though JTBC has not locked a broadcast date .
The timing is what makes this more than a routine schedule adjustment. ATEEZ are thirteen days out from the release of “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6,” their fifteenth mini album, due November 13 at 2 p.m. KST . The project follows “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in June—the group’s third career chart-topper and ninth top-ten entry on the US album chart . The lead single from that album, “BAD,” refused to leave Korean charts even after promotions ended, claiming two consecutive weeks at No. 1 on SBS’s “INKIGAYO” in September, roughly three months after release . The pre-release track from the new album, “Drip,” arrived on October 23 and has already drawn attention for its choreography .
A full-group “Knowing Bros” appearance was supposed to be the soft-power piece of that rollout—the members trading stage costumes for a talk-show set, trading anecdotes about nine years together, and performing a special stage built for the episode . Losing two members, including the leader, strips the booking of its “complete group” selling point. It does not cancel the promotional cycle, but it narrows it.
Hongjoong’s health history adds a layer the agency’s statement does not address. In August, KQ Entertainment disclosed that the ATEEZ leader had been diagnosed with a rib fracture after visiting a hospital for a persistent cough. The medical advice at the time was “sufficient rest,” yet Hongjoong chose to honor pre-scheduled commitments, with the agency saying it would respect “his own will” while keeping activities “within a reasonable range” . Whether the current absence is related to that injury or a separate issue is unknown. KQ has not said, and the statement’s refusal to specify is standard practice in an industry where medical details are treated as private until an artist is fully cleared.
The structural reality of the moment is harder to ignore. ATEEZ are booked for the Korea Grand Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 8, five days before the album drops . Their world tour, “ZERO TO ONE,” opens in Incheon across three nights in late January 2027 . Between the comeback, the awards circuit, and the tour launch, the calendar leaves little room for extended recovery—for anyone. A two-member absence from a variety recording is absorbable. A two-member absence from a music-show week or a tour opener would not be. KQ’s decision to pull Hongjoong and Wooyoung from the recording rather than push through is, in that light, a small but telling line in the sand.
For fans, the immediate question is what “sufficient rest” means in practice. The agency asked for understanding and promised to “do our best to support their full recovery” . It did not say when Hongjoong and Wooyoung would return to the public schedule. The six-member “Knowing Bros” episode will air in November regardless. The album will arrive on November 13 regardless. The only variable is whether the two members are on the promotional grid when it does.
Also Read: ATEEZ’s “GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6” Tracklist: “UP” Leads Five-Song EP Ahead of November 13 Release
Check VVIPTimes to track KQ Entertainment’s health updates and ATEEZ’s revised promotional schedule as the November 13 comeback approaches.
Source (1)
Leave a Reply