WINWIN’s SM Contract Ends as NCT Activities Officially Conclude

SM Entertainment has confirmed that WINWIN’s exclusive contract will conclude on July 9, 2026, ending his formal relationship with the agency and bringing his activities as a member of NCT to a close. The announcement, published on July 8, said the decision followed discussions between the company and WINWIN, and described the contract conclusion as mutually agreed.¹

The update makes the Winwin NCT departure official at both the agency and group-activity level. SM Entertainment stated that “WINWIN will conclude all activities as a member of NCT,” a direct confirmation that his exit is not limited to a management contract change but also includes the end of his participation in the NCT system.¹

WINWIN’s SM Contract Ends on July 9

WINWIN’s SM Contract Ends as NCT Activities Officially Conclude rehearsal studio concept

SM Entertainment’s notice on Weverse was issued one day before the contract end date, setting July 9, 2026, as the effective date for the conclusion of WINWIN’s exclusive contract. The agency said it had held sufficient discussion with the artist and reached a mutual agreement to end the contract.¹

The company also thanked WINWIN for more than 10 years with SM Entertainment, including his trainee period. That detail frames the contract conclusion as the end of a long association that began before his official debut and continued through multiple NCT-related activities.¹

Korean outlets including Dispatch and Newsis reported the same core sequence: SM Entertainment announced the end of the exclusive contract on July 8, with the contract conclusion taking effect on July 9, and WINWIN’s NCT activities ending alongside it.²³

The agency notice did not announce a new company, a new management arrangement, or a specific schedule for WINWIN after the contract ends. The available information confirms only the contract conclusion with SM Entertainment and the end of all NCT activities.

End of NCT, WayV and Related Activities

WINWIN, whose real name is Dong Sicheng, has been identified in reports as a Chinese member of NCT. Newsis noted that he debuted in NCT in 2016 and later debuted in WayV in January 2019, placing his career within several phases of SM Entertainment’s NCT project.³

Dispatch also noted his activities across NCT 127, WayV and NCT U, reflecting the multi-unit structure in which he participated during his time under SM Entertainment.² The agency’s latest statement, however, uses broader language: all activities as a member of NCT are ending, rather than only one unit or one schedule being affected.¹

That distinction is central to the announcement. In some K-pop contract cases, an artist may leave an agency while continuing certain group activities under separate arrangements. In WINWIN’s case, the official notice says both the exclusive contract and all NCT activities are concluding.¹

Soompi, reporting in English, similarly summarized the announcement as WINWIN officially parting ways with both SM Entertainment and NCT. The report also said he shared a personal letter to fans after the agency announcement.⁴

Message to Fans and Broader NCT Context

Following the agency announcement, Dailian reported that WINWIN posted a message on his own social media reflecting on the past 10 years. The outlet quoted him as writing that he was sharing the message with sincerity while looking back on that period.⁵

Dailian’s report said WINWIN thanked people he met while moving from trainee to NCT 127 and WayV member. The available source material does not provide a full English translation of the entire post, but it confirms that his personal message addressed the long span of his time connected to SM Entertainment and NCT-related activities.⁵

Sports Kyunghyang placed WINWIN’s departure within a wider 2026 pattern of NCT membership changes. The outlet reported that WINWIN’s exit followed Mark’s April departure and Ten’s SM contract conclusion, while noting a difference in Ten’s case: Ten was reported as continuing planned participation, whereas WINWIN’s NCT activities are ending completely.⁶

That comparison is useful because it shows why SM Entertainment’s wording matters. The agency’s statement does not merely state that a contract expired or that a management relationship changed. It specifically confirms that WINWIN will no longer carry out NCT activities, making the announcement a definitive group-status update as well as a contract update.¹

The confirmed facts are limited but clear: SM Entertainment and WINWIN mutually agreed to end his exclusive contract effective July 9, 2026; he will conclude all activities as a member of NCT; and the agency has thanked him for more than a decade connected to the company, including his trainee period.¹ With no further future schedule or management plan included in the cited announcements, the contract conclusion stands as the central confirmed development.