Two world tours last year but Ateez are not done: the K-pop group on what makes them popular, where they get their energy and the debut of Xikers

The K-pop group, who burst onto the scene with mini-album Treasure EP.1: All To Zero in 2018, did two world tours last year, performing in front of 430,000 fans

The members talk about why they think the group have done so well, how they will reach more people at home and across the world and where they get their energy

Reading Time:3 minutes

K-pop band Ateez during their European tour, in London in 2022. They talk about what they think makes them so popular with fans around the world and where they get their energy from to keep going. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:21pm, 27 Mar 2023

By Dong Sun-hwa

2022 was a hectic year for Ateez.

The K-pop boy group – made up of members Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho – did two world tours last year, performing in front of 430,000 fans.

Ateez made their debut in 2018. About a year after that, the group held their first-ever world tour in 15 cities, drawing some 100,000 attendees. Numerous factors have contributed to their success, but Ateez frontman Hongjoong believes that the group’s powerful performances have been the biggest factor.

Ateez at KCon, the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music, in Los Angeles in 2022. Photo: CJ ENM

“We have been putting emphasis on our performances from the very beginning, and I think this aspect has appealed to our fans,” he says.

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