TVXQ

TVXQ (동방신기, Tohoshinki in Japan) is a South Korean duo under SM Entertainment, widely considered one of the most impactful acts in K-pop history. The duo consists of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. Originally a five-member group from their 2003 debut, TVXQ shed three members following a 2009 legal dispute with SM that saw Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu depart to form JYJ. The duo reformed in 2011 and immediately proved their staying power: "Keep Your Head Down" topped Korean charts while their Japanese releases set records that still stand. They became the first foreign act with six consecutive number-one albums on Japan's Oricon chart and have sold over 12 million albums in Japan alone, making them Japan's best-selling foreign artist group of all time. Key Korean studio albums include Mirotic (2008) - whose title track remains a touchstone of K-pop history - Catch Me (2012), and 20&2 (2023), released for their 20th anniversary. In Japan, XV (2019) and Zone (2024, released to commemorate two decades in the Japanese market) extended their Oricon dominance. The Zone Tour (November 2024 to March 2025) sold out arenas across Japan, reinforcing their extraordinary long-term fanbase. In July 2025, TVXQ released the Japanese digital single "Tsuki no Ura de Aimashou", which debuted at number three on the Oricon Digital Singles Chart. Both Yunho and Changmin renewed their SM contracts in April 2025. Billboard has called them "K-pop royalty." Fan clubs: Cassiopeia (Korea) and BigEast (Japan).