After nearly a year since their 2nd album release, NCT’s sub-unit Way V, which is primarily active in the Chinese market, is set to make a comeback in June. However, on the morning of May 10, Label V – a subsidiary of SM and the management company of WayV – announced that this comeback would not include member Winwin, citing that the male idol is busy with his filming schedules in China.
Upon learning this, some fans expressed anger on Weibo, demanding Winwin to leave the group and even threatening to stop supporting him, believing that the male idol only cares about his personal activities rather than group schedules.
Facing controversy, Winwin personally explained on social media that he had received information that WayV would start preparing for a new album in May. Therefore, from January until April, he has been trying to complete his personal schedule to participate in the group’s comeback.
However, for reasons unknown, the production team pushed back the album preparation process to late March, which Winwin couldn’t handle as he had to shoot many important scenes for a new filming project. Despite being “deceived” by the company, Winwin still apologized and wished WayV a successful comeback.
After Winwin’s explanation, netizens felt extremely outraged at Label V’s handling of the situation. This is not the first time the male idol has suffered the consequences from the company in this manner.
On the other hand, Winwin made his debut with NCT 127 in 2016, then joined NCT U and later became a core member of WayV. Despite possessing handsome looks, good dancing abilities, and a decent voice, Winwin has not been given the chance to shine according to his abilities. The number of times he appeared to participate in group activities can be counted on one hand, and each comeback, the male idol only received minimal singing lines and extremely limited screen time.
It was thought that he will have more spotlight in WayV, only for the group schedules to not include Winwin, leaving many wondering if he is still active with the group or not.
Seeing how SM treats Winwin in this way, many find it hard to believe how much effort the company put into recruiting the male idol.
In particular, Winwin ranked first in the Beijing Dance Academy, specializing in Dance Performance, and even won the national Classical Dance competition in China. Due to this, he was sought after by SM, receiving 7 requests for auditions and debuted after just 1 year of training, even though his Korean language skills were limited at the time. Winwin also has a large fan base within NCT, with the highest number of followers on his personal Weibo account among all members.
The contrast in SM’s treatment of Winwin before and after his debut leaves fans extremely puzzled. Some fans even hope Winwin will leave the group and seek better opportunities in his home country rather than endure being cold-shouldered like this.
The full statement from Winwin reads:
“At the end of last year, I was informed that preparations for the new album would take place in May. So from January to April of this year, I participated in a new film. However, the album production was suddenly changed and pushed back to late March. At that time, I was in the process of shooting many important scenes, so I couldn’t participate in WayV’s activities. To join the group’s new activities, I discussed and proposed many solutions, but unfortunately, I couldn’t be there for this comeback. I want to apologize to Wayzenni (WayV’s fandom) and all those who follow me. I wish WayV a successful comeback, and I will be here to support everyone.”
Source: K14, Weibo
