Former Stray Kids member and K-pop soloist Kim Woojin speculated to debut under SM Entertainment's subsidiary brand, Kustomade

Rumors about former Stray Kids member Kim Woojin and his solo debut under SM Entertainment's subsidiary brand Kustomade made their way on social media on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. While the same wasn't confirmed by either SM Entertainment or the idol, fans were reportedly shocked by the speculations.

The idol's possible debut under SM Entertainment's Kustomade and the sudden label intrigued and shocked people. They were shocked after they considered the idol's involvement of two of the Big Four K-pop companies, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment. Kim Woojin kickstarted his career under JYP Entertainment in 2017 when he debuted as a Stray Kids member.

However, in 2019, JYP Entertainment released a statement announcing that the idol left the agency and the group due to personal reasons. The very next year, he was accused of s*xual assault, leading to fans and netizens heavily criticizing the idol. Though he has denied the allegations, netizens' anger towards him hasn't completely settled.

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Former Stray Kids member Kim Woojin rumored to debut under SM Entertainment's subsidiary brand, Kustomade

Kim Woojin is a 26-year-old Korean singer who debuted as a Stray Kids member under JYP Entertainment in 2017. He joined the group after bagging the win through the agency's reality survival show, Stray Kids. While the idol was well-loved as the group's lead vocalist, fans soon got the shocking announcement of his departure.

JYP Entertainment released a statement in 2019 revealing that the idol terminated his contract with the agency and departed from Stray Kids. Given that no proper explanation was put forth regarding the reason behind his departure, STAYs began giving him a cold shoulder. While the idol continued his career as a soloist under 10x Entertainment, controversies around him failed to settle.

The next year, netizens' perspective of the idol worsened as an anonymous post surfaced on X. The idol was accused of s*xually assaulting a woman and her friend at a bar in Seoul. However, the idol's agency released a statement denying the accusations and reporting that Kim Woojun didn't visit the location mentioned by the anonymous netizen.

The agency also released documentaries explaining the idol's innocence. However, given the sensitivity of the issue, netizens never fully pushed it behind them. Following the controversy, the idol continued rolling out his solo career with comebacks and tour announcements. However, fans were suddenly hit with the rumors that the idol would be joining SM Entertainment.

In September 2023, SM Entertainment announced its upcoming subsidiary, Kustomade. The agency stands as a creation of SM Entertainment's music publishing company, Korean Music Rights. It focuses on taking unique approaches to songs and producing more artist-focused music. Kim Woojin was reportedly announced to be one of the initial artists of Kustomade.

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It was also reported that the idol has been training under the agency for about a year after his previous agency, 10x Entertainment was acquired by SM Entertainment. While there have been mixed reactions to the idol's sudden change of labels, fans are still excited to see what Kim Woojin has in store for them.