TEMPEST’s Hwarang ultimately suspended activities amidst the controversy surrounding private life issues, while MBC M’s “Show Champion” undergoes restructuring with a two-person MC system.
Starting from the live broadcast on March 13th, “Show Champion” will be hosted by the duo Xdinary Heroes’ Gaon and EPEX’s Keum Donghyun.
On February 21st, “Show Champion” showcased the trio of Hwarang, Gaon and Keum Donghyun for the first time.
Previously, “Show Champion” had a 3MC system with Woo!ah!’s Nana, Billlie’s Tsuki and Moon Sua, who concluded their hosting duties after the 500th episode on November 15th, 2023. Before them, “Show Champion” was hosted by ASTRO’s Moonbin, Sanha and Verivery’s Kangmin from March 2020.
Earlier, TEMPEST’s agency Yuehua Entertainment stated on March 6th, “Hwarang has been engaged in deep discussions with us regarding future activities in light of personal privacy issues recently disclosed through social media. During this process, Hwarang was unable to regain trust, and we determined that it would be difficult for us to continue TEMPEST’s activities in its entirety under these circumstances.“
They added, “(Regarding the mini album) We ask for your understanding in advance that there may be footage of Hwarang in pre-shooting and production matters. We apologize once again for causing concern to our fans with this sudden news.”
Previously, Hwarang faced controversy as he admitted to going to a club during his health hiatus. Subsequently, the agency said, “Hwarang deeply regrets visiting the club. He has pledged not to repeat the same behavior in the future. Our agency and Hwarang will pay special attention to ensuring that such behavior does not recur.” With the suspension of activities, Hwarang will also be leaving MBC M’s “Show Champion”.