Actor

2004-11-28 · Eoyang-dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea · Male

9 series in the catalog

Treasure (Korean: 트레저; Japanese: トレジャー; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by YG Entertainment in 2019. The group consists of ten members: Choi Hyun-suk, Jihoon, Yoshi, Junkyu, Yoon Jae-hyuk, Asahi, Doyoung, Haruto, Park Jeong-woo, and So Jung-hwan. Treasure was originally composed of 12 members; Mashiho and Bang Ye-dam departed from the group in November 2022. The group debuted in 2020 with the single album The First Step: Chapter One, beginning a four-part The First Step series that also includes Chapter Two, Chapter Three, and the full-length compilation The First Step: Treasure Effect (2021). The series collectively sold over one million copies within just five months, marking one of the fastest-selling debut projects in K-pop.

History

2017–2019: Formation and pre-debut activities

Following the establishment of YG Entertainment's representative boy bands Big Bang (2006), Winner (2014), and iKon (2015), speculations regarding their next group circulated in 2017. Early reports identified K-pop Star 2 (2012–2013) runner-up, Bang Ye-dam, as a core trainee, with reports citing the prospective line-up as the label's youngest male act, comprising trainees aged 15–17 with an average of four to five years of training. Additional trainees associated with the nascent project appeared on Stray Kids (2017), including Bang and K-pop Star's (2011–2012) Choi Rae-sung.

The band's formation was determined through the reality program YG Treasure Box (2018–2019), featuring twenty-nine trainees. The final seven: Haruto, Bang Ye‑dam, So Jung‑hwan, Junkyu, Park Jeong‑woo, Yoon Jae‑hyuk, and Choi Hyun-suk, were introduced as Treasure. A second unit, Magnum, consisting of Ha Yoon‑bin, Mashiho, Doyoung, Yoshi, Jihoon, and Asahi, was later disclosed. Both teams were to promote collectively as Treasure 13. Following Ha's departure, they were reorganized, and the two units were consolidated under the single name Treasure.

Several members had prior stints in entertainment; Junkyu worked as a child model, Bang Ye-dam recording for animated programs, and So Jung-hwan briefly starred as a child actor and performed with the Taekwondo demonstration team K-Tigers. Mashiho featured in Akdong Musician's Spring of Winter (2016), while Choi Hyun-suk and Junkyu competed in Mix Nine (2017–2018). Bang was the earliest recruit among the final lineup, joining YG Entertainment in June 2013. Mashiho entered later that year through a Japanese audition. Junkyu, Choi, Doyoung, and Jihoon joined through academy‑facilitated private auditions between 2014 and 2016. So was cast shortly before the broadcast of YG Treasure Box. Yoon, the only member street‑cast, entered the agency a few months prior to the show's premiere, as did Asahi.

2020–2022: Debut with The First Step tetralogy, reformation, and first Asia tour

In January 2020, Treasure was re-introduced to the public with promotional pictorials and a performance video for "Going Crazy" (미쳐가네; michyeogane), first revealed on YG Treasure Box (2018–2019) and co-written by Mino of Winner. Their re-introduction also included variety programs such as Treasure Map. Modeled using Big Bang's debut as a blueprint, plans were set to release new music 3–4 times throughout the year, similar to how the quintet debuted with single albums in 2006. Prior to their official debut, Treasure became the fastest Korean act to chart on the Billboard Social 50, remaining on the chart for six consecutive weeks, and peaking at number 3 on August 29. Additionally, the group amassed an estimated 1.49 million subscribers on their YouTube channel ahead of their debut.

Treasure debuted on August 7, 2020, with the single album The First Step: Chapter One, the inaugural installment of The First Step series. The release garnered 170,000 pre-orders, debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart, and received platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). The music video for its lead single "Boy" surpassed 10 million views within 26 hours and 20 million views within six days, later becoming their first to reach 100 million views on YouTube. The second installment, released on September 18, entered the Gaon Album Chart at number two. Its titular single "I Love You" (사랑해; saranghae), topped Rakuten Music's monthly chart for September despite less than two weeks of tracking. The third installment followed on November 6 with the lead single "Mmm" and the B-side "Orange" (오렌지; olenji), the group's first self-produced work, written by Asahi. The series concluded with their first studio album, released on January 11, 2021. It marked their third number one on the Circle Album Chart and debuted atop for the month of January. The series ended with over 710,000 copies sold in three months and one million in five months, earning the band multiple awards, including their first at the Asia Artist Awards.

Treasure lent their voices to the soundtrack of the TV Tokyo Japanese anime, Black Clover. First revealed on January 5, 2021, in the anime itself, the song also served as the band's first original Japanese release. It was digitally released as two versions on January 22 and February 14, respectively; where the full version of "Beautiful" entered the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart at number 58, and the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at twenty-third. In commemoration of Black Clover's final episode, the full version was aired at the request of its director. Their Japanese debut album, sharing a title with their first full-length album, was released on March 31. It included the Japanese versions of all their Korean releases to date, with the group's newest single, "Beautiful", and the accompanied music video. The album debuted and consecutively charted at number one for four days on the Oricon Daily Chart, and debuted atop the weekly chart with over 57,000 sales in its first week. The band first appeared on terrestrial broadcast in Japan with the Nippon TV music program Buzz Rhythm, where they performed the Japanese version of "Boy", in conjunction to their official debut in the country.

YG Entertainment publicized a prelude for "The Second Step" on New Year's Day, heralding The Second Step: Chapter One, their first extended play (EP), and its release on February 15, 2022. 600,000 records were pre-ordered in eight days

whilst 700,000 were sold in three days. It was also listed in the twenty-five best K-pop albums of 2022 by Billboard staff. Its titular single, "Jikjin" (직진), obtained ₩500,000,000 ($420,000) for its music video, amassing 10 million views in 21 hours, and 20 million in under three days, also career highs rising five times faster. It reaped their first music show trophy on Show Champion and earliest entry on Circle Digital Chart. Its B-side, "Darari" (다라리), found success on TikTok, reaching 500 million views with over one million uploads, and was one of the most shazamed and streamed K-pop songs of 2022 on Apple Music and Spotify. Released on October 4, titular single, "Hello", from their sophomore EP was listed as one of five best K-pop songs of 2022 by Time while its Japanese equivalent became their first album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Bang Ye-dam and Mashiho, who went on hiatus in May to pursue studies in music and recuperate in health, respectively, were absent; both departed in November. They embarked on their first arena tour in Japan that month—the largest debut tour held in the country by a Korean act, exceeding 300,000 attendees—later extended to an Asia tour dubbed "Hello", in correlation to its latest release, concluding with est. 420,000 people.

2023– 2024:Reboot project and career expansion

The ten-piece reunited with the Black Clover franchise for its theatrical soundtrack, with "Here I Stand". It became their first number one hit on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and first platinum certification awarded by the RIAJ ensued from its integration into their Japanese…