C9 Entertainment’s upcoming boy band will be named NAZE, the agency said Friday.

The septet was initially called C9 Rookies.

NAZE refers to a point where sea meets land. It can also stand for “New Adventure’s Zestyfull Echo,” in hopes that the band “discovers one’s true self at a place where limitless possibilities stretch out in every direction," according to the agency.


The seven-member group will appear in the Japanese TBS drama “Dream Stage,” set to begin airing in January 2026. “Dream Stage” follows the stories of a Japanese producer who was previously expelled from the industry and seven struggling trainees from a small Korean record label.

C9 Entertainment manages singers Younha and Lee Seok-hoon and boy bands CIX and EPEX. C9 Rookies is the agency’s first boy band since EPEX debuted in 2021.

NAZE's debut date has not been revealed.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]