SEOUL, South Korea — Ten years ago, PENTAGON entered the K-pop scene with big ambitions. A decade later, the boy group is celebrating its anniversary with a story that includes a breakout hit, a sudden controversy, military service, changing agencies and — ultimately — a reunion driven by its own members.
PENTAGON officially debuted on Oct. 10, 2016, under Cube Entertainment after being introduced through the Mnet survival program “Pentagon Maker.” The group initially debuted as a 10-member act, with members from South Korea, China and Japan.
Now, seven members are preparing to mark the group’s 10th anniversary with new music and an international tour — a return that comes nearly three years after their previous new song.
“Shine” changed everything
PENTAGON’s breakthrough arrived with “Shine,” the title track from its sixth EP, Positive, released in 2018.
The song’s distinctive melody, playful choreography and increasingly recognizable point dance helped turn PENTAGON into a much more visible name in K-pop.
But the group’s momentum did not continue without interruption.
Only months after “Shine” became a major breakthrough, PENTAGON was hit by a dating controversy involving member E’Dawn and singer HyunA. The episode became a major turning point for the group and its lineup.
E’Dawn eventually left Cube Entertainment, while PENTAGON continued as a nine-member act.
The group’s first music-show victory would not arrive until four years after debut, illustrating how long its climb remained despite the success of “Shine.”
The long road after the breakthrough
PENTAGON continued releasing music and developing a reputation for members participating in the group’s songwriting and production.
But like many long-running K-pop groups, the passage of time brought another challenge: mandatory military service and the expiration of exclusive contracts.
As members completed military duties and their contracts with Cube Entertainment came to an end, they increasingly pursued individual careers under different companies.
That could have marked the end of PENTAGON’s story as a working group.
Instead, the members have found a way to return.
A reunion built by the members themselves
For the 10th anniversary, PENTAGON is returning as a seven-member lineup consisting of Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, Kino and Wooseok.
The anniversary project is being organized under NAKED, the label founded by member Kino.
The reunion is particularly notable because the participating members are no longer together under the company that originally launched PENTAGON.
Members Yan An and Yuto are not participating in the anniversary lineup, although reports note that neither has been formally announced as having left PENTAGON.
Three years later, new music arrives
The reunion is not limited to anniversary appearances.
PENTAGON released “Coward” in September, marking the group’s first new song in almost three years.
Kino played a major role in the production, contributing to the song’s composition and lyrics alongside other songwriters and producers.
The group is also preparing its “101010” 10th Anniversary Tour, beginning in Osaka on Oct. 1, followed by stops in Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.
The Seoul performances carry particular significance: one of the concerts is scheduled for Oct. 10, exactly 10 years after PENTAGON’s debut.
Why the 10th anniversary matters
PENTAGON’s first decade is not simply a story about a successful K-pop single.
It shows how quickly momentum can change in the idol industry — and how a group’s identity can evolve when members move between agencies, pursue solo careers and complete military service.
The group’s return also demonstrates that leaving an original agency does not necessarily mean the end of a group’s collective activities.
For PENTAGON, the 10th anniversary arrives with seven members back together, new music on the way and a tour that revisits several of the group’s most important markets.
After a decade of “Shine,” controversy, uncertainty and reinvention, PENTAGON is entering its next chapter on terms shaped largely by the members themselves.
And for fans who have followed the group since 2016, the biggest question is no longer how the story survived its difficult years — but what PENTAGON will build with its second decade.
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