On July 8, SM Entertainment announced that WINWIN's exclusive contract had expired, marking the end of his decade-long tenure with the label. As an original NCT member, he promoted across NCT 127, NCT U, and WayV, though his involvement with each unit became increasingly limited over time. A growing acting career and repeated hiatuses gradually shifted his focus outside of group activities. For an artist with his performance ability, the gap between what he demonstrated in those moments and the space he was given within the group never quite closed.

WINWIN first debuted as an original member of NCT 127 in July 2018, with their first EP, NCT#127, and its hip-hop, trap, and Moombahton title track, “Firetruck.” Within the group, the 28-year-old was always known as one of its lead dancers, since overall, it was his greatest strength. Before joining SM, the singer specialized in traditional Chinese dance and contemporary dance, having trained at the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy. He was fluid, graceful, flexible, and extremely agile, leading to some of the most impressive acrobatics in his idol performances.

However, he was also considered a sub-vocalist in the group, often providing a velvety baritone pitch to some of the group’s talking-rap sections and a mellower tone for some of the more vocally heavy tracks. But unfortunately, with some of 127’s rap and vocal heavy hitters – such as Taeyong, Mark, Jaehyun, Haechan, and Doyoung – WINWIN’s parts were often short and fleeting, relegating him to a couple of lines per song. Where he did feature, it tended to be in dance breaks or solo performance moments that showcased a physicality few in the group could match. Over time, even those moments became scarce – and the frustration among his fanbase grew accordingly.

After six comebacks with NCT 127 – “Firetruck,” “Limitless,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Touch,” “Chain,” and “Regular” – SM Entertainment officially announced WINWIN’s departure from the group, following several sporadic absences from the unit’s activities in 2018. Although it was unknown at the time, this decision was for the performer to pivot and re-debut as a member of NCT’s Chinese subunit, WayV. The seven-member group debuted in January 2019 with its first EP, The Vision, and “Take Off” as its lead single.

Here, WINWIN seemed to thrive truly – receiving more lines in songs, getting more camera time onstage, and being able to promote not just in Korea but also in his homeland, China. While WayV’s songs were mainly in Mandarin, they often had Korean and English versions of certain title tracks, allowing him to hop back and forth between his native language and others he was already familiar with. Additionally, the performer’s training in classical Chinese dance and contemporary dance was given more emphasis, with WINWIN and TEN releasing a performance video to a remix of Billie Eilish and Khalid’s song, “lovely.”

However, his activities with WayV began to falter in early 2021, with WINWIN and former member Lucas absent from the group’s Kick Back promotions. In this case, the circumstances were uncontrollable, as it was due to the COVID-19 quarantine in China at the time, and the members had solo schedules. But WINWIN’s absence soon became a recurring obstacle, as the singer established a personal studio in China and therefore unable to participate in NCT U’s third studio album, Universe. While he was away, WINWIN would kick-start his acting career, filming his first onscreen role as a supporting character in the historical fantasy drama, Snow Fall from October 2021 to January 2022.

Simultaneously, the actor began appearing on variety shows in China, both as a guest and a host, before landing his first male lead role in the modern romance series Sweet Games in 2023. Since then, WINWIN continued to forge his own path in TV and film, leaving WayV activities and promotions behind, although he remained listed as an active member. Although his absences were mostly due to scheduling conflicts, it became increasingly clear that WINWIN’s passion for acting outweighed his desire to be an idol – or maybe he had fallen out of love with it altogether. Either way, he had successfully transitioned from the K-pop industry and established himself as a popular actor in China.

2026 marks ten years for NCT members across 127, U, and Dream – and the point at which contracts were due for renewal. Most have re-signed, but a significant number have chosen not to. Mark and Ten both concluded their contracts with SM in April; Mark departed from NCT entirely, while Ten has indicated he will continue to collaborate with NCT and WayV as needed. Lucas, who had already ceased activities with both NCT U and WayV in 2023, also formally parted ways with SM the same month.

A decade is a long commitment, and for artists who signed as teenagers, the end of that period naturally prompts reassessment. SM's track record of nurturing major acts doesn't change the weight of what a ten-year contract represents. For WINWIN, the response to his departure has been largely positive – fans who are, for the most part, simply glad he has the freedom to determine what comes next. The writing had been on the wall for some time. July 8 was confirmation, not a surprise.