NCT 127 and NCT DREAM will continue with SM Entertainment after renewing their contracts during NCT’s 10th anniversary year. (Photo: SM Entertainment)
NCT is entering its second decade with two of its flagship units firmly intact.
NCT 127 and NCT DREAM have renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment, giving fans a clearer picture of the groups’ futures as the wider NCT brand celebrates its 10th anniversary.
NCT 127 members Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Haechan renewed their exclusive contracts with SM Entertainment in July. The agency said the decision reflected the members’ strong teamwork, bond and mutual trust with the company.
NCT DREAM followed on Aug. 20. Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung renewed their contracts after Haechan had already signed a new deal as a member of NCT 127.
SM said the decision was based on the members’ “deep mutual trust” and commitment to continuing together as NCT DREAM.
NCT Reaches the 10-Year Mark
The renewals arrive at a symbolic moment for NCT.
The project began in April 2016 with NCT U, followed by the launch of NCT 127 in July and NCT DREAM in August of the same year. WayV and NCT WISH later expanded the multi-unit system into new markets and generations.
A decade later, the question surrounding two of NCT’s biggest units is shifting from whether they will remain together to what they will do next.
NCT 127 has already begun answering that question.
The group released its seventh full-length album BLINGY on Aug. 24 as part of its 10th-anniversary activities.
Speaking at a press conference for the album, leader Taeyong said the contract renewals represented the members’ trust in one another as they look toward the future.
The group is currently promoting as five active members — Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Jaehyun and Haechan — while Doyoung and Jungwoo are completing their military service.
Mark, meanwhile, departed NCT and SM Entertainment in April after the two sides agreed to end his exclusive contract. SM subsequently confirmed that NCT 127 would continue as a seven-member group and NCT DREAM as a six-member group.
NCT 127 Begins Its Next Chapter
The changes have not stopped NCT 127 from moving forward.
The group is preparing to launch its fifth world tour, NEO CITY – THE REDLINE, with three concerts at Seoul’s KSPO DOME from Sept. 18 to 20.
For NCT 127, the new album and tour mark the beginning of a post-renewal era built around the musical identity the group has developed over the past decade.
Haechan described the group’s first 10 years as a period of following its own path rather than chasing what others were doing.
That philosophy now carries into the group’s second decade.
NCT DREAM Also Chooses to Stay Together
NCT DREAM’s renewal carries similar significance.
The group marked its 10th anniversary with the fan meeting THE SWEET DREAM HOTEL at Inspire Arena in Incheon, celebrating a decade since its August 2016 debut.
Originally introduced with a youthful concept, NCT DREAM has evolved alongside its members and audience, developing from a teenage-focused unit into one of NCT’s most commercially successful acts.
SM Entertainment confirmed that all six current members will remain with the agency and said it plans to continue supporting the group’s activities.
The group is also preparing new music for the second half of 2026.
Ten Years — and Another Beginning
NCT looks very different from the project SM Entertainment introduced in 2016.
Members have come and gone, its unit structure has evolved, and the individual careers of its artists have expanded.
But the contract renewals of NCT 127 and NCT DREAM provide stability to two of the brand’s most important teams.
Ten years after NCT began, both groups have chosen to continue.
Now the bigger question is no longer whether they will stay together.
It is what comes next.
Key Takeaways
- All seven current NCT 127 members have renewed their contracts with SM Entertainment.
- All six current NCT DREAM members have also renewed with SM.
- The renewals coincide with NCT’s 10th anniversary in 2026.
- Mark left NCT and SM Entertainment in April 2026.
- NCT 127 released its seventh studio album BLINGY on Aug. 24 and is preparing for a new world tour.
David Kim is a senior author at Kpopbreaking.com, focusing on major K-pop events, industry trends, and global entertainment news.
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