Stray Kids

Stray Kids is an eight-member boy band that debuted in 2017 under JYP Entertainment, considered one of the most successful boy bands in K-pop.

Ever since its debut with "District 9" (2018), the band has been particularly popular among overseas fans, making their stardom in Korea seem minuscule in comparison.

Stray Kids is famed for its strong-beat, electronic-slash-hip-hop style that global fans tend to prefer over the softer competition, evident through their hit songs "God's Menu" (2020), "Thunderous" (2021), "Miroh" (2019), "My Pace" (2018) and "Hellevator" (2017).

The band is also known as having been "self-produced," meaning that all members participate in the song-making process and that the bandmates were put together by leader Bang Chan, who hand-picked each member instead of the agency's founder Park Jin-young.

The band initially debuted with nine members, but Woojin quit in October 2019 due to "personal issues," according to an official statement from JYP Entertainment.

Why are they called the Stray Kids?

Stray Kids' name is quite self-explanatory. It means that the eight kids who are straying will keep on paving their own paths to break free from existing rules and boundaries. They are commonly referred to as SKZ by fans and online users.

Stray Kids' official fan club is called Stay. It has a double meaning: Where the Stray Kids can stay and that they are the reason for Stray Kids' existence — without them, Stray Kids will not be whole. The name was finalized on Aug. 1, 2018. (2022.09.09)

Are the Stray Kids fourth generation?

Yes. The band debuted in 2017, two years after girl group Twice. The band initially debuted with nine members, but Woojin quit the band in October 2019 due to "personal issues," according to an official statement from JYP Entertainment. Woojin made a solo comeback as Kim Woo-jin in August 2021 with EP "The Moment: a minor." (2022.09.09)

Are Stray Kids disbanding?

Rumors of Stray Kids disbanding have been surfacing around the same time when GOT7 members' times to renew their contract came in 2021. Fans were worried that if the agency and its more senior boy band were going their separate ways, then it may go big or go home for Stray Kids as the new big focus of the group. Fortunately, having debuted in 2017, the bandmates don't have to worry about their contracts until 2024, so disbanding is not a likely option now. (2022.09.09)