WinWin's decade inside SM Entertainment closed on a single-paragraph notice. On July 8, 2026, the agency told fans that the Chinese member's exclusive contract — and his place in NCT — would end the following day.
What Happened: SM Ends WinWin's Exclusive Contract on July 9, 2026
SM Entertainment announced on July 8, 2026, through an official notice posted to NCT 127's Weverse community, that it had mutually agreed to conclude the exclusive contract of member WinWin (Dong Sicheng), effective July 9, 2026 . The notice, titled "Notice Regarding the Conclusion of WINWIN's Exclusive Contract," is brief and does not disclose financial terms or any reason beyond the discussions themselves.
"Following careful discussions with WINWIN, we have mutually agreed to conclude his exclusive contract, effective July 9." — SM Entertainment official notice (source: Weverse, 2026-07)
Crucially, the agency confirmed that the contract's end also ends his group membership. SM stated that WinWin "will end all his NCT activities," a line reported in both English and Korean coverage of the notice . That distinction matters in 2026, when leaving SM and leaving NCT have become separable outcomes.
SM closed the notice by saying it was "deeply grateful to WinWin, who has been with SM Entertainment for more than 10 years" — a span counted from his trainee period rather than his 2016 debut — and that it would support him "as he embarks on a new journey" .
Who Is WinWin, and How Did His 10 Years With SM Unfold?
WinWin — legal name Dong Sicheng (董思成), also written 동사청 in Korean — is a Chinese performer who debuted in 2016 as a member of NCT 127, the Seoul-based unit of SM Entertainment's multi-national NCT franchise . He then debuted a second time in January 2019 as a member of WayV (웨이션브이 / 威神V), NCT's China-based sub-unit operated through SM's joint venture with Label V . Two debuts across two markets defined the shape of his decade: a Korean-language boy group and a Chinese-language one, promoted on separate schedules.
That dual assignment gradually tilted toward the China side. From roughly 2021 onward, his participation in NCT 127 group promotions became intermittent, and Korean reporting notes he was effectively absent from official albums and group activities from 2024, the period in which WayV escalated its domestic Korean promotion schedule . In practice, fans tracking NCT 127 comeback lineups had been reading his absence from tracklists and jacket photos for two full album cycles before the contract news arrived.
2021 is the year Korean press points to as the structural pivot. That year WinWin established his own personal studio in mainland China to handle his acting bookings, a step that gave him an independent booking channel separate from SM's Korean management structure . Korean outlets accordingly framed the July 2026 departure as "사실상 예고된 수순" — effectively a foreshadowed step — rather than a sudden rupture .
- 2016 — Debuts with NCT 127, SM's Seoul-based NCT unit.
- January 2019 — Second debut with WayV, the China-based sub-unit run with Label V.
- 2021 — Opens a personal studio in China for acting bookings; NCT 127 group participation turns intermittent.
- 2024 — Near-absent from official NCT 127 albums and group activity as WayV pushes Korean promotion.
- July 9, 2026 — Exclusive contract with SM concludes.
WinWin's Farewell Message: 'These Past 10 Years Will Remain One of the Most Precious Chapters'
WinWin published a handwritten-style farewell note to his personal social media accounts shortly after SM Entertainment's July 8, 2026 notice went live, addressing fans directly rather than through the agency . The message framed the split as a closing chapter, not a grievance: he thanked fans and the company, marked the exact span of his tenure, and signaled that he intends to keep working rather than step back. Excerpts were reported by Soompi and The Korea Times.
"From 2016 to 2026 — 10 years have passed by so fast. These past 10 years will remain one of the most precious chapters of my life. I'll continue to do my very best with the same unwavering heart and keep growing," — WinWin (Dong Sicheng), in a farewell message to fans (source: Soompi, 2026-07).
The note was not uniformly celebratory. Per Korea Times reporting, WinWin acknowledged that there had been difficult stretches across the decade, but said the good memories "outweighed the hardships" . That line is the closest either party came to characterizing the split beyond procedural language — SM's own notice said only that the conclusion followed "careful discussions" and disclosed no terms .
WinWin Is the Third NCT Member to Fully Exit in 2026 — Here's How the Departures Differ
WinWin is the third member to leave the NCT lineup entirely during 2026, according to Korea Herald's tally . The 2026 exits are not interchangeable, though: leaving SM Entertainment and leaving NCT became separable outcomes this year. Mark Lee ended his SM contract and left NCT in April 2026 . Ten (Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul) also departed SM in April 2026, but negotiated an arrangement under which he continues to participate as a member of both NCT and WayV while operating through his own newly established agency . WinWin took the full exit — SM's notice stated he "will end all his NCT activities" .
| Member | SM contract ended | Still in NCT? | Current setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Lee | April 2026 | No | Left both SM and NCT |
| Ten | April 2026 | Yes — NCT and WayV | Own newly established agency |
| WinWin | July 9, 2026 | No | China-based personal studio with Yuekai Entertainment |
The clustering is structural rather than coincidental. NCT's founding cohort signed standard Korean exclusive contracts around the 2016 debut, and those deals — subsequently extended — reached the 10-year mark in 2026, pushing several renewal decisions into the same calendar window . Korean reporting adds that decisions for several Korean members are further complicated, and in some cases deferred, by mandatory military service obligations that distort the normal renewal timeline .
The timing also lands during a sensitive stretch for SM Entertainment, which underwent an ownership restructuring in 2023 that brought Kakao in as its largest shareholder. The NCT system was designed as a rotating franchise meant to absorb individual turnover, and 2026 is testing that design against its original lineup rather than in theory.
Where WinWin Goes Next, and What Happens to NCT 127 and WayV
WinWin's next chapter is an acting career based in mainland China, run through the personal studio he established in 2021 and operating in conjunction with Yuekai Entertainment (悦凯娱乐) . SM's notice said only that it would "support him as he embarks on a new journey," and disclosed no financial terms, no reason beyond "careful discussions," and no non-compete arrangement .
His recent screen credits give a sense of the track he is already on: the drama 24/25-Hour Romance (25시간의 연애), Five Blessings at the Door (오복임문), which also streamed on Netflix, and Brocade Odyssey (양진미금), released via iQiyi . Forbes placed the split inside a longer-running pattern of Chinese idols in K-pop moving their careers back to China's domestic market, where acting and variety work carry fewer geopolitical and regulatory frictions than K-pop group promotion.
For fans tracking schedules, the practical takeaway is narrow. Both units continue: NCT 127 remains active, and WayV — which debuted WinWin as a founding member in January 2019 — keeps promoting, but loses another original face at the exact moment its stated growth strategy is a heavier Korean-market push. Expect future WayV and NCT 127 tour lineups and album credits to be built without him . Anything else — a return, a collaboration, a Korean release — has not been announced by either side.
Frequently asked questions
When did WinWin's SM Entertainment contract officially end?
SM Entertainment posted the notice on July 8, 2026 to NCT 127's Weverse community, and the contract concluded effective July 9, 2026 . Both dates appear in coverage because of time-zone and publication-cycle differences — July 8 is the announcement date, July 9 is the effective date . The notice was titled "Notice Regarding the Conclusion of WINWIN's Exclusive Contract" and described the outcome as mutually agreed following discussions with the artist. Read alongside SM's statement, the agency said it was grateful to WinWin for more than 10 years counting from his trainee period (Korea Times).
Is WinWin still a member of NCT or WayV?
No. SM's notice states that WinWin ends all of his NCT activities, and because WayV is NCT's China-based sub-unit, that covers WayV as well . This is the point most often confused with Ten's case: Ten also left SM in April 2026, but negotiated an arrangement to continue as a member of both NCT and WayV through his own newly established agency . In 2026, leaving SM and leaving NCT are separable outcomes — WinWin's is the full exit from both the agency and the group, and future WayV or NCT 127 lineups will not include him.
Why did WinWin leave SM Entertainment?
SM's official notice attributes the split only to "careful discussions" with WinWin and discloses no financial terms, no stated reason, and no non-compete arrangement . Anything beyond that is inference, not confirmation. Korean outlets characterized the exit as an expected step rather than a rupture, pointing to 2021 as the pivot year, when WinWin established his own personal studio in China to handle acting bookings, and noting that he was effectively absent from official NCT 127 albums and group activities from 2024 onward . Neither SM nor WinWin has disputed that framing publicly.
Which other NCT members left SM in 2026?
Two other founding-cohort members exited SM earlier in 2026, both in April. Mark Lee ended his SM contract and left NCT entirely . Ten (Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul) also departed SM in April 2026 but continues as a member of both NCT and WayV while operating through his own agency . Korea Herald's tally places WinWin as the third member to fully depart the NCT lineup during 2026. The cluster reflects the 2016 debut cohort's exclusive contracts reaching the 10-year mark, with some Korean members' decisions further complicated by mandatory military service timing .
What is WinWin doing now?
WinWin is continuing solo activities as an actor in mainland China, working through his own China-based personal studio in conjunction with Yuekai Entertainment (悦凯娱乐) . His recent drama credits include '25시간의 연애' (24/25-Hour Romance), '오복임문' (Five Blessings at the Door), which also streamed on Netflix, and '양진미금' (Brocade Odyssey), released via iQiyi . Forbes placed the move within a broader pattern of Chinese idols in K-pop returning to the domestic Chinese market, where acting and variety work face fewer regulatory frictions than K-pop group promotion. In his farewell letter he wrote that he would "keep growing" (Soompi). No Korean releases or reunion activity have been announced.
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
