ATEEZ - history

Plans for a new KQ Entertainment boy group began after a company staff member discovered a letter from Ateez's future leader, Kim Hongjoong. The letter expressed Hongjoong's interest in becoming a trainee at KQ Entertainment due to his admiration of the group Block B, also managed by the company, and included a sample mixtape. Hongjoong was then contacted by KQ Entertainment and became the company's first official trainee, and would remain the only trainee until Yunho joined him six months later.[10][11] Over the next year, they would be joined by Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. Multiple members left other companies to join: Mingi came from Maroo Entertainment, and Yeosang and Wooyoung had trained together at BigHit Entertainment before switching to KQ.