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EPEX postpones China concert; member Keum suspends activities
K-pop boy band EPEX / Captured from Instagram
By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop boy band EPEX has postponed its upcoming concert in China and will temporarily continue as a seven-member group following the suspension of member Keum's activities due to personal reasons, the group's agency said.
C9 Entertainment announced Friday that Keum would halt all promotional and group activities, citing unspecified personal circumstances.
"Until related matters are resolved, Keum will be suspending his activities," the agency said through a statement. "EPEX will proceed as a seven-member group starting today. We ask for fans' understanding."
Keum also recently stepped down as an emcee for the MBC music show "Show! Champion," wrapping up a 14-month run with the April 30 broadcast.
News of his hiatus follows another setback for the group. On May 9, just three weeks before the scheduled event, EPEX's concert in Fuzhou, China, was abruptly postponed.
The group had been scheduled to perform on May 31 at MAAQUU x CH8 LIVEHOUSE as part of its "2025 EPEX CONCERT 'YOUTH DAYS'" tour. The performance would have marked the first concert in China by a K-pop boy band composed entirely of Korean nationals since the unofficial ban on Korean entertainment content — known as "hanhallyeong" — was imposed nearly nine years ago.
"We regret to inform you that the Fuzhou concert, originally scheduled for May 31, has been postponed due to local circumstances," C9 said. "We are currently discussing a new date and venue and will provide an update once confirmed."
The sudden postponement has reignited speculation in the Korean entertainment industry that expectations surrounding the easing of China's restrictions on Korean content may have been premature.
EPEX, an eight-member group consisting of Wish, Keum, Mu, A-Min, Baek Seung, Ayden, Yewang and Jeff, debuted in June 2021. On May 6, they released their first collaborative single "so nice" with American pop duo joan.