ATBO Member Seok Rakwon Leaves Group 2 Years After Debut, Cites Mental Health Concerns

ATBO's member Seok Rakwon bid his goodbye to the group 2 years after his debut. The news was shared by their management company, IST Entertainment, who cited health concerns as the reason behind his departure from the band. The singer made this choice after taking a hiatus in March to concentrate on his health due to anxiety issues.

ATBO’s label issues statement

IST Entertainment announced Rakwon has left ATBO with a press release on Monday. The agency thanked fans for their continuous support and apologized for the bad news in a heartfelt message. They stated that anxiety problems were the cause behind Seok Rakwon's departure from the group. 

The statement read, “In a heartfelt statement addressed to fans, the agency expressed gratitude for the unwavering support and apologized for the unfortunate news. Seok Rakwon's departure from ATBO is attributed to health reasons, with the agency citing anxiety symptoms that led to his hiatus in March of the same year.”

The label also said that, in spite of attempts to talk about Seok Rakwon's future plans both inside the group and in the entertainment business, it was ultimately determined that his top priorities should be his recovery and well-being. As so, Seok Rakwon says goodbye to his involvement with ATBO, while the remaining six members of the group will carry on with their activities.

More about ATBO

The group ATBO, which stands for At The Beginning of Originality, entered the K-pop scene in 2022 as a result of IST Entertainment's The Origin - A, B, Or What? survival challenge. Oh Jun Seok, Ryu Jun Min, Bae Hyun Jun, Seok Rak Won, Jeong Seung Hwan, Kim Yeon Kyu, and Won Bin were the group's original seven brilliant members.