Who are NCT, as SMRookies member Shohei is announced as no longer joining the K-Pop group

The very widespread K-Pop group NCT, which comprises of members that pass through SM Entertainment's pop sub-group, SMRookies, have announced that not only are two of their members leaving the group to pursue a new duo project, but one of the up-and-coming members of SMRookies will not be joining the all-encompassing group.

Shohei (born Matsushima Shohei), a member of SMRookies, was confirmed as no longer joining the group by SM Entertainment CEO Jang Cheolhyuk during a video interview earlier today - and brilliantly summarised to English by Twitter user @baloon_wanted. Instead, the Japanese born musician will skip graduating into the group and focus on solo works to be released “in the future.”

@balloon_wanted also translated news that two members of NCT will be leaving the group to pursue a new project; Sungchan & Shotaro have been confirmed by SM Entertainment to be forming a new boy group later in the year. AllKPop further revealed that the new group are set to debut later this year, with SM’s intentions to add more regional members to NCT's Japanese unit, which will mark the end of NCT's infinite expansion, and also publicise the new unit's creation process with fans

Who are NCT

NCT, which stands for "Neo Culture Technology," is a South Korean boy group formed by SM Entertainment. The group follows a unique concept of having an unlimited number of members, with different sub-units based in various cities around the world. The concept allows for flexibility in member formations and enables NCT to promote and release music in different languages and regions.

NCT consists of several sub-units, including NCT U, NCT 127, NCT Dream, and WayV. Each sub-unit has its own distinctive style and member lineup, and they release music both as individual units and as the larger NCT group.

SMRookies, on the other hand, refers to a pre-debut training team under SM Entertainment. It consists of trainees who are being prepared for potential future debuts as part of SM Entertainment's artist lineup. SMRookies are often introduced to the public through various activities, such as participating in SM Entertainment's pre-debut project, performing in live showcases, and appearing in promotional content.

The purpose of SMRookies is to showcase and train young talent, providing them with opportunities to gain exposure and develop their skills before debuting as official artists. Some trainees from SMRookies may eventually debut as members of groups under SM Entertainment, including NCT or other groups managed by the company.