Koki Tanaka, who was selected as the final member of P NATION’s new boygroup through SBS’s audition program “LOUD,” which aired last year, has his debut postponed.
P NATION said, “We decided that Koki, the youngest member born in 2009, needed more time for improvement.”
Today (Jan. 24th), P NATION made its official statement, saying, “We would like to inform you of the future activities of Koki Tanaka.” It was a sudden announcement of the company that it decided to exclude Koki from its new boygroup’s debut lineup, despite the fact his debut was previously confirmed. The trainee is expected to be the next future of P NATION with the consent of Koki himself and his guardian.
P NATION said, “Koki has been part of P NATIO since the last episode of SBS’s “LOUD” aired, and has been training and preparing for his debut in a sincere and passionate manner.” The company continued, “We have come to the conclusion that we need some more time to improve the vocal and rapping skills Koki needs for his performance,” adding, “We will fully support all the processes for Koki until his debut.”
Finally, the company added, “Koki will strive for his big dream with the temperament and tenacity that surprised everyone with krumping at a young age, and we ask for your support for Tanaka Koki, who will continue to develop under P NATION.”
In JYP and P NATION’s next-generation boygroup selection project “LOUD,” which aired last year, Koki was selected as the youngest member of the debut group. Even at the young age of 13, he showed high-quality krumping skills and ranked first in the overall fan vote in the final member selection.
At the time, P NATION President Psy said, “In fact, the part that I really struggled too much until the end was whether to pick our participant Koki. Until the end, really until the end, I think I thought about whether he would suit the group well until the end. Small giant Koki. Fans, viewers, please raise the group with the same heart as me,” he said.
However, when Koki’s debut was decided, there were concerns raised by foreign fans, such as “It’s dangerous for him to be exposed to the media at the young age of 13” and “How is the Korean idol world going?” and “I admit Koki has skills, but the team balance is not good with him in,” and “Will it be okay?” Opinions were divided, because there are also ones such as “There are many other idols who debuted at the age of 15.”
Koki was eventually excluded from the debut group of the P NATION boy group, but he said in a handwritten letter, “I really appreciate the fans who have supported me so far. I will work harder to repay your love, so please continue to support me. I will come back as a better me.”
