On June 23, Mystic Story announced it had officially disbanded its seven-member boy group ARrC after two years since debuting. With initial hype upon their 2024 debut, stemming from individual members and group content that went viral, the septet had a promising start, quickly gaining traction particularly in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Brazil. However, despite their strong international appeal and critical praise for their hip-hop sound, ARrC had yet to find its footing two years into their career, leading Mystic Story to bring the group's activities to a close.

The group was initially formed around the concept of a multinational lineup – seven members from South Korea, Vietnam, the United States, Japan, and Brazil – designed to appeal across domestic and international markets. It's a strategy the industry has deployed before: GOT7, NCT, KATSEYE, BLACKSWAN, and BLACKPINK were all built in part around multinational and multiethnic rosters. After gaining significant traction on Weibo, with 1.16 million views, ARrC officially debuted in August 2024 with "S&S (sour and sweet)" off their debut EP, Ar^c.

Sonically, the mini album heavily featured quirky hip-hop tracks, both through its title track and even with B-sides like “light up” and the nu-skull remix of the group’s first pre-debut digital single, “dummy.” Many critics and fans drew comparisons from ARrC’s sound to that of NCT, considering both feature strong rap performances, solid vocals, and unconventional rhythms that would even be polarizing at times. Nonetheless, the EP sold 19,204 copies and peaked at No. 10 on Gaon's Circle Chart – a solid debut for a rookie group.

In February 2025, the group released two EPs, nu kids: out the box and HOPE, the former of which we see ARrC begin to pivot away from their experimental hip-hop-heavy sound and start incorporating more R&B, EDM, and 2000s hip-hop. Its title track, “nu kidz,” was probably the best example of this switch-up, effortlessly showcasing the group’s smoother side compared to their debut material. Overall, it was praised by critics for its cohesive yet genre-blending track list, while fans consider it a non-skip album of K-pop’s fifth generation.

Five months later, the septet came back with its third EP, HOPE, further expanding ARrC’s sonic narrative to retain its nostalgic hip-hop feel and fuse it with pop-dance and lo-fi neo-soul elements. Its title track, 'awesome,' feels like a natural extension of 'nu kidz,' deepening the group's 2000s hip-hop influence rather than departing from it. Meanwhile, B-side tracks like “vitamin I” offer a combination of present-day ARrC and their debut selves, blending genres like experimental hip-hop, hyperpop, and electro-punk for a much more dynamic result.

While their music video view count had been great since debut – “S&S (sour and sweet)” sits at 9.3 million views, “nu kidz” rose to 10 million, while “awesome” saw a decline to 5.7 million – the main issue was ARrC’s physical album sales. With nu kidz: out the box and HOPE, tracked around the same as the group’s debut album, never fully rising out of the 19,000-20,000 range. Growth had plateaued rather than built, and the group hadn't yet broken through to a wider audience.

Regardless, ARrC released its third project of 2025 with CTRL+ALT+SKIID, featuring only two songs: “SKIID” and “WoW (Way of Winning) with labelmates Moon Sua and Siyoon from Billlie. As the title track, “SKIID” is an interesting and distinct entry, as it combines the group’s strong rap performance with a jazz-based rhythm, resulting in a very unique listening experience. In comparison, “WoW (Way of Winning)” delivered their more typical hip-hop and pop-dance influence. With the addition of Moon Sua and Siyoon, the track is elevated to feel like a true collaboration that makes sense, rather than just company-based synergy.

While many believed the group was beginning to find a steady audience and really pick up in popularity, general hype still wasn’t enough to propel ARrC where it needed to be to break through the K-pop zeitgeist. Since then, the group hadn’t released any material, leaving many to wonder how long it would be before they’d make their next comeback. However, those hopes never came to pass when fans were blindsided with the news of the group’s disbandment.

"After repeated sincere and careful discussions with the members, we have decided to officially end ARrC (아크)'s group activities as of June 23, 2026," the company wrote in its official statement. "We express deep gratitude to the members for their passion and efforts under the name ARrC (아크), and to the fans for their unwavering support and love. We sincerely hope for a brighter future as they embark on new beginnings." The statement confirmed all seven members – Andy, Choi Han, Doha, Hyunmin, Jibeen, Kien, and Rioto – will each pursue individual paths going forward.

The statement offered no specific rationale beyond describing the decision as the outcome of careful discussions with the members. What the numbers show is that sales plateaued across three releases rather than building – but whether that alone drove the decision, or whether other factors were involved, the label hasn't said.

Two of Mystic Story's other acts, Billlie and Lucy, have built sustained careers through consistent growth across releases – commercially and in terms of audience reach. ARrC's trajectory didn't follow the same curve, which raises a question worth sitting with: whether two years was enough runway for a group with genuine international reach to realise what they were capable of. The marketing and promotional support behind each comeback, and how much room the group had to develop artistically, are factors only the label can fully account for.

The end of a group rarely means the end for its members. Some may pivot to solo careers or acting; others could re-debut elsewhere. Hyunmin is no stranger to that path, having competed on Boys Planet in 2023 before ARrC's formation. So far, the only person to pursue a solo career has been Jiwoo, who left the group in January 2025 and made his solo debut with “STAY IN THE MIRROR” in March 2026. Following the disbandment news, KIEN swiftly shared that he would be releasing his solo debut, THE FIRST CHAPTER: HOMECOMING. For the other members, the options remain open.

What ARrC leaves behind is the outline of a group that had the foundations – an international lineup, a defined sound, and a fanbase that extended beyond Korea – with untapped potential. Whether that changes for any of its members individually is the more interesting question now.