Monsta X looks ahead after decade in K-pop, teases September comeback

Monsta X members, from left, Hyungwon, I.M, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Shownu and Joohoney, pose during a press conference at a hotel in Yeouido, western Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Starship Entertainment

By Pyo Kyung-min

• Published Jul 16, 2025 5:36 PM KST

Having weathered all the highs and lows that come with spending a decade in the turbulent K-pop industry, nothing seems to rattle boy band Monsta X and its sheer confidence.

That was clear on Wednesday afternoon, as the six Monsta X members — Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney and I.M — gathered at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, for a press conference marking the group's 10th anniversary. Rather than treating it as a routine media event, the members filled the room with easy laughter, trading jokes about their military service and even dropping unannounced hints about new music.

Monsta X made its official debut on May 14, 2015, under Starship Entertainment, with its first mini album, "Trespass." Since then, the group has built an impressive catalog of hits, including "DRAMARAMA," "Shoot Out" and "GAMBLER," winning over fans in Korea and abroad with its signature masculine charisma.

Looking back on the decade together, Minhyuk said the milestone finally felt real.

"I didn't really feel it until today," he said. "Being congratulated like this makes it sink in. It feels both moving and overwhelming."

Kihyun added that it still feels a little surreal, having only recently been discharged from the military in February.

"It feels like an incredible gift. I'm so grateful to the fans and my members who have stayed with me all this time. I don't want to rest on our 10-year milestone. Rather than look back, I want us to keep moving forward," he said.

Monsta X's full-group reunion carries particular significance, as it marks the first time all six members have gathered again after completing their mandatory military service. Shownu, the eldest, enlisted in 2021, and the other members followed in turn. I.M, who is 29, is now the only member yet to enlist.

"The members talk so much about their military days in the rehearsal room that my ears feel like they are going to bleed," I.M joked. "I guess I'll have to keep listening to them until my time comes too."

With a decade of experience behind them, Monsta X is preparing to return to the stage for the first step in its next chapter. The group's Seoul concert, "2025 MONSTA X CONNECT X," is set for Friday to Sunday at the KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul.

"We prepared this show hoping it would capture the past ten years of Monsta X," Hyungwon said. "We did not plan it around what we wanted to perform, but instead focused on creating a setlist that our fans really want to see."

During the event, the members also dropped an unexpected teaser about their next album, exchanging knowing smiles.

"We cannot reveal the exact date yet, but it has already been decided internally," Kihyun noted. "We are putting a lot into this album. We have been working hard on it, and the recording finished some time ago. But the comeback will not happen this month."

Joohoney then went a step further, glancing at the band's label staff before delivering the biggest spoiler of the day.

"I'm just going to say it. We are coming back in September. Expect us on the earliest possible date of the month," he said, as the room erupted in applause.

The members also discussed the next decade without losing their trademark humor.

"In another ten years, we'll all be in our forties," Kihyun said. "Of course we wonder if we will still be able to pull off powerful dance moves. But when our 20th anniversary comes around, I think we will have a more mature charm of our own. It will be fun."