Rookie boy band TWS kicked off its ambitious journey on Monday, aiming to live up to the title of "Seventeen’s younger brother band" and hoping to receive the new moniker, "perfect idol."

TWS, Pledis Entertainment’s latest six-member boy band, was at the center of attention for many K-pop listeners for being HYBE Labels’ first K-pop idol to debut in 2024 and as boy band Seventeen’s younger brother group. TWS is the first boy band to debut under Pledis Entertainment in almost nine years, following the debut of Seventeen back in 2015.

The six members were nervous yet resolute during the boy band’s first press showcase, held Monday at the Blue Square in Yongsan District, central Seoul, ahead of the release of its first EP “Sparkling Blue” later that day.

“We are thankful to be called Seventeen’s younger brother group; the title gives us more responsibility, and it also acts as a driving force for us to practice even harder,” member Jihoon said during the press showcase.

The six-member band consists of five Korean members — Youngjae, Jihoon, Dohoon, Kyungmin and Shinyu — and one Chinese member, Hanjin.

“Our role model is Seventeen, and the six members pursued our dreams looking at Seventeen,” Dohoon said.

“The title actually incentivizes us to be even better on stage,” Shinyu said. “It’s a positive type of pressure, the type of pressure that will drive us to grow even further.”

TWS’s debut EP “Sparkling Blue” and its lead track “plot twist” also encapsulate the band’s mindset as they make their debut in the K-pop world.

“First encounters [with someone] always feels nervous yet exciting, and I think I share the same thoughts as I am here doing my first showcase,” Youngjae said, referring to the Korean title of one song, which translates to "First encounters never go as planned.”

The lead track, with its easy-listening and refreshing nature, also describes the band’s unique colors, according to the members.

“Just like our slogan, we are going for songs that you can enjoy anywhere, anytime,” Kyungmin said. “We wish to spread to the world our positive energy using our refreshing energy.”

The band’s name is an abbreviation of its slogan: "Twenty-four-seven With Us,” hoping the band will stay with listeners 24/7.

“Starting from our bright and refreshing team identity, we have created our own genre: boyhood pop,” Jihoon said.

“We hope to spark fantasy in our everyday life and talk about our boyhood lives.”


“The motto we share as we complete our practice every day is to have a better day today than yesterday,” Youngjae said.

“If we manage to achieve that motto every day, steadily, I hope to earn the moniker ‘perfect idol’ in the future.”

To find out more about TWS, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]