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KINO Announces 3rd Solo EP 'Lost and Found' Dropping April 1
PENTAGON member KINO announces his 3rd solo mini-album 'Lost and Found,' releasing April 1 via his independent label NAKED - arriving at the peak of his ongoing FREE KINO world tour.
March 11, 2026
KINO (강형구) has impeccable timing. Right in the middle of a 15-city world tour spanning three continents, the PENTAGON member and independent artist just announced his 3rd solo mini-album, Lost and Found, dropping April 1, 2026 at 6 PM KST.
The announcement landed March 9 via NAKED, the independent label KINO founded and runs as CEO after departing CUBE Entertainment in October 2023. No third-party label, no co-signers. Just KINO, operating entirely on his own terms.
A Pivot from the Dark
The thematic shift is intentional. His second EP, Everybody's Guilty, But No One's to Blame, released last October, leaned hard into darkness and anxiety. It was a raw, uncomfortable record that felt like confession. Lost and Found is the morning after. KINO describes the new project as a work about freedom and love rediscovered by returning to his true self.
Two solo EPs deep, and he is already building a discography with a clear internal logic: artist as subject, growth as theme.
FREE KINO Is the Setup
The album does not exist in a vacuum. KINO kicked off his FREE KINO World Tour 2026 in Seoul on January 24 at Myeonghwa Live Hall, then moved through Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, London, and Warsaw before February was out. Demand was strong enough that Manila, Los Angeles, and Atlanta were added as additional dates, bringing the tour to 15 cities total.
In an interview with allkpop conducted ahead of the Asia and Americas legs, KINO broke down the philosophy behind the tour name: "FREE KINO carries two meanings simultaneously. The first represents the cry of supporters who shout, 'Free KINO! Let him be free!' A call that champions his liberation. The second signifies KINO himself, who has finally attained true freedom at the end of that cry."
Remaining tour stops: Tokyo (March 7), Manila (March 22), Singapore (March 26), Taipei (March 28), then New York (April 19), Atlanta (April 21), and Los Angeles at The Moroccan Lounge (April 24). The album drops right in the middle of the North American run.
Ten Years of PENTAGON, and Counting
The solo momentum has not erased the group context. In February 2026, KINO reunited with his PENTAGON bandmates, Jinho, Hui, Hongseok, Shinwon, Yeo One, and Wooseok, for the 33rd Hanteo Music Awards, marking the group's 10th anniversary with their first shared stage in nearly three years. The reunion drew significant attention from fans who had followed the group through various contract endings and solo pursuits since 2023.
KINO's trajectory is one of the more compelling independent artist stories in K-pop right now. He left a major label, built his own infrastructure, booked a world tour, and is now delivering a third solo record while still active in one of K-pop's most enduring 3rd-generation groups. Lost and Found arrives April 1.
