JYJ: 'We Are Dong Bang Shin Ki Now and Forever'

▶ Three former members of Dong Bang Shin Ki (Junsu, Park Yoo-chun, and Kim Jae-joong) have formed a three-member group, JYJ.

They said, "There are many reasons that made us decide to leave SM, but we always think about reuniting all five members of Dong Bang Shin Ki again. We had been members of Dong Bang Shin Ki, we still are now, and we will be forever". During a recent interview with Yonhap News, they were asked what Dong Bang Shim Ki meant to them, and they all said with one voice, "It is not about a meaning or something. We are Dong Bang Shin Ki. Even though we have to go different way, there is no reason that we cannot call ourselves Dong Bang Shin Ki anymore". Three members of Dong Bang Shin Ki, Kim Jae-joong, Park Yoo-chun, and Sunsu, who had been members of the most popular star idol group for the past seven years in the Asian region, had been involved in an exclusive contract dispute with their agency, SM Entertainment, and then formed a new group, JYJ, last October and began taking their own path.

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The other two members, U-Know U-Know and Changmin Lee Changmin, will release a new album as Dong Bang Shin Ki without those three members on January 5 next year and begin their activities. JYJ members talked about the reason they had left SM, saying, "Many misunderstandings and truths are mixed in those reasons coming to the front. But anything people are talking cannot be correct answer. The reasons why we actually left our previous agency and the origin of the problem are not the same. There was a root of the problem, but it was completely different from the fundamental reason. We had made this big decision even in the situation where the contract term had not yet been terminated, and there are many reasons for that and we cannot explain this matter simply. We can only say that there were many reasons".

▶ Park Yoo-chun in the group JYJ

After they left SM, they do not use both the group name of "Dong Bang Shin Ki" and their member names of the group, "Youngwoong Kim Jae-joong", "Park Yoo-chun", and "Xiah Junsu". JYJ said, "We had considered the name of the group for a long time. We are still Dong Bang Shin Ki members, and the other two are also Dong Bang Shin Ki members. But all five members together are also Dong Bang Shin Ki for sure. But we could not use the name again after we left SM because we thought that it would disrespectful to our fans who have loved Dong Bang Shin Ki, so we created this new group name 'JYJ'". JYJ members and the other two Dong Bang Shin Ki members do not contact each other, but they still leave the door open for gathering all five members together under one name of "Dong Bang Shin Ki".

▶ Junsu in the group JYJ

hey said, "One and a half years have passed since we left SM. Right after we left SM, we kept in touch with the other two members, but from some moment, we could not contact each other anymore. I do not know the reason. But we always think about the possibility that we will all come together as members of Dong Bang Shin Ki again". About Dong Bang Shin Ki's new album to be released in January next year, Junsu said, "I really congratulate U-Know U-Know and Changmin Lee Changmin for beginning their activities as Dong Bang Shin Ki again. I wish them success because we are also members of Dong Bang Shin Ki". Kim Jae-joong also said, "I feel somewhat disappointed emotionally, but basically I really welcome their activities. Also, if they release this new album to keep the group Dong Bang Shin Ki as SM mentioned, I really appreciate that. When we five members performed together, Dong Bang Shin Ki was the best group ever and we are very much proud of that fact. So, I want the other two members to continue their performances worthy of the name Dong Bang Shin Ki".

▶ Kim Jae-joong in the group JYJ