History of Ateez in Timeline

Ateez is an eight-member South Korean boy band formed by KQ Entertainment, debuting on October 24, 2018, with the EP Treasure EP.1: All to Zero. The group consists of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. They are known for their powerful performances and distinctive music style.

2017: Hongjoong, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho compete on Mix Nine

In 2017, members Hongjoong, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho participated in the survival reality show Mix Nine, achieving the rankings of 42nd, 63rd, 72nd, and 43rd respectively among all male contestants.

May 18, 2018: KQ Fellaz Performance Video I Release

On May 18, 2018, KQ Entertainment released the "KQ Fellaz Performance Video I" on YouTube, featuring the eight Ateez members dancing to "Pick It Up" by Famous Dex, marking the first time all members were seen together.

July 3, 2018: Ateez Official Name Reveal

On July 3, 2018, KQ Entertainment revealed the group's official name, Ateez, short for "A TEEnager Z", symbolizing their goal to represent everything about teenagers.

October 24, 2018: Ateez Debut with Treasure EP.1: All to Zero

On October 24, 2018, Ateez officially debuted with the release of their extended play (EP) "Treasure EP.1: All to Zero."

January 3, 2019: Announcement of Treasure EP.2: Zero to One Comeback

On January 3, 2019, Ateez announced their first comeback EP, "Treasure EP.2: Zero to One", with a teaser photo on their social media accounts.

2019: The Expedition Tour Announced and KCON 2019 Japan Performance

In 2019, Ateez announced their first tour, The Expedition Tour, which included dates in American and European cities, all of which reportedly sold out. On May 17, Ateez also performed at KCON 2019 Japan in Chiba, Japan.

2019: Hongjoong Raises Awareness for Polished Man Campaign

In 2019, Ateez member Hongjoong began raising awareness for the Polished Man campaign by painting one of his nails, leading fans to set up fundraising pages and raise hundreds of dollars. The Polished Man campaign raises funds for trauma prevention and recovery programs for young survivors of violence.

2019: Release of Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action and MTV EMA Award

In 2019, Ateez released their first studio album, "Treasure EP.Fin: All to Action", which became their first album to reach number one on the Gaon Albums Chart. On November 3, Ateez won the Best Korean Act award at the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards.

2019: Ateez Wins Worldwide Fans' Choice at MAMA 2019

In 2019, Ateez won the Worldwide Fans' Choice award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

January 6, 2020: Release of Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer

On January 6, 2020, Ateez released their fourth EP, "Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer", as the conclusion to their Treasure series, along with the music video for lead single "Answer".

May 8, 2020: Ateez Appointed as Ambassador for Korean Culture and Tourism

On May 8, 2020, Ateez was named by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as its 2020 ambassador to help promote Korean culture and tourism abroad. They also participated in the "Overcome Together" challenge and served as ambassador of the Talk Talk Korea Contest in 2020.

August 31, 2020: Mingi and Yeosang Participate in Star Bookstore

On August 31, 2020, Ateez members Mingi and Yeosang were announced to be participating in Star Bookstore, a campaign where celebrities read books to children in disadvantaged situations. The audiobooks they recorded surpassed 10,000 views within a day, leading to a donation of ₩2 million towards Korean welfare organizations.

2020: MAMA Awards and Kingdom: Legendary War Announcement

At the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Ateez won the Worldwide Fans' Choice and Discovery of the Year awards. It was also announced that they would be joining Kingdom: Legendary War.

2020: Virtual Concert and KCON:TACT Performance

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Ateez hosted a free virtual concert called "Crescent Party" on the V Live app, with over 1.4 million viewers on May 30, 2020. On June 26, 2020, they performed both the opening and closing stages at KCON:TACT 2020 and held their first virtual meet-and-greet with fans.

2020: Release and Awards for Zero: Fever Part.1

In 2020, Ateez released their fifth EP, "Zero: Fever Part.1", with the lead single "Inception" chosen by fans. Ateez received music program awards for "Inception" on August 4 and 5. The EP sold over 379,052 physical copies in South Korea, becoming Ateez's first album to be certified platinum.

2020: Japanese Single Release, Kim Jong-kook Collaboration, and Pentatonix Collaboration

In 2020, Ateez released their first Japanese single "Dreamers" on July 28 as the fifth ending theme for Digimon Adventure. They also announced a collaboration album with Kim Jong-kook titled Season Songs on August 4 and a collaboration with Pentatonix on the single "A Little Space" on August 19.

2020: Ateez Recognized as Next Generation Leaders

In 2020, Ateez was dubbed "Next Generation Leaders" by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, in addition to already being known as "Global Performance Idols."

2020: Immortal Songs Performance and Social Media Popularity

On December 19, 2020, Ateez was the only idol group invited to the Immortal Songs year-end finale, where they performed "Anyhow Song". Ateez were also the fifth most tweeted-about musician in the United States and the 10th most tweeted-about K-pop group globally in 2020, according to a Twitter survey.

January 28, 2021: Ateez Films Commercial for LG webOS TV

On January 28, 2021, Ateez filmed a commercial for the LG webOS TV.

April 14, 2021: San Appointed as Public Relations Ambassador of Namhae

On April 14, 2021, San was appointed as Public Relations Ambassador of Namhae, his hometown in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

April 2021: Participation in Kingdom: Legendary War

In April 2021, Ateez participated in the Mnet competition show, Kingdom: Legendary War.

May 15, 2021: Ateez Appears on Identity 2021 Fundraiser

On May 15, 2021, Ateez appeared on Identity 2021, a live stream fundraiser hosted by Amazon Music in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The campaign raised over $20,000 towards Pacific Bridge Arts Musical Scholarships and the Gold House AAPI Community Fund.

July 2021: Polished Man Partnership Funds Exceed $30,000

As of July 2021, the funds raised through Ateez's partnership with Polished Man, an initiative raising funds for trauma prevention and recovery programs for young survivors of violence, have exceeded $30,000.

February 3, 2022: Collaboration with Poshmark

On February 3, 2022, Ateez collaborated with online fashion store Poshmark.

November 2022: Ateez Donates to Seoul Halloween Crowd Crush Relief

In November 2022, following the Seoul Halloween crowd crush, Ateez donated ₩100 million to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. The donation, sourced from their concert profits, aimed to support those affected by the accident.

2022: The Fellowship: Break The Wall World Tour Begins

In 2022, Ateez commenced their second world tour of the year, "The Fellowship: Break The Wall", with sold-out concerts in Seoul on October 29 and 30. They then embarked on the North American leg of the tour. On November 26, Jongho released the song "Gravity" for the JTBC drama Reborn Rich.

2022: KCON 2022 LA Performance and Idol Radio Season 3 DJs

In 2022, Ateez performed at KCON 2022 LA on August 22. On September 8, it was announced that Hongjoong and Yunho would be DJs for MBC Radio's Idol Radio Season 3. On September 9, Ateez released an original soundtrack for the web drama Mimicus, titled "Let's Get Together".

2022: Performances at Jeddah K-pop Festival and UNI-KON 2022

In 2022, Ateez performed at the Jeddah K-pop Festival in Saudi Arabia on June 30 and closed the second day of UNI-KON 2022 in Seoul on July 3.

2022: Joint Concerts Across Asia and Artist of the Year Bonsang

In 2022, Ateez performed in several joint concerts across Asia, including Kpop Land 2022 in Jakarta, and KCON 2022 Japan in Tokyo. On October 8, 2022, Ateez received the Artist of the Year Bonsang at The Fact Music Awards.

2022: Artist of the Year Award and The Fellowship: Beginning of the End Tour Announcement

On October 2, 2021, Ateez won the Artist of the Year award at The Fact Music Awards. On November 14, 2021, during their virtual concert, Ateez announced their third world tour, "The Fellowship: Beginning of the End", which was scheduled to begin in Seoul in January 2022.

March 2023: San Donates to Hometown Namhae

In March 2023, Ateez member San donated ₩5 million to his hometown Namhae through the Hometown Love Donation Program. He also donated Hanwoo beef sets, valued at ₩1.5 million, to 22 single-parent households in Namhae.

2023: Performances and Encore Concerts

Between April and May 2023, Ateez performed in multiple events, including the Lovesome Festival in Seoul, KCON Japan 2023 in Chiba, and held six encore concerts for the Fellowship: Break The Wall tour in Seoul, Tokyo, and Chiba. Jongho made his first solo appearance on Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend on May 13, 2023.

2023: Ateez Wins Worldwide Fans' Choice at MAMA 2023

In 2023, Ateez won the Worldwide Fans' Choice award at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

January 5, 2024: Ateez Selected as Brand Model for Nacific

On January 5, 2024, Ateez was selected by the cosmetics brand Nacific as its brand model.

2024: Ateez Performs at Coachella and Headlines Mawazine

In 2024, Ateez became the first K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella and the first K-pop group to headline the Mawazine music festival in Morocco. They also won the Grand Honor's Choice award (daesang) at the Korea Grand Music Awards.

2024: Yeosang Steps Down from The Show, Hongjoong Featured in Chung Ha's Single, Grammy Museum Exhibition, and KCON Hong Kong Performance

In 2024, Yeosang stepped down as co-host for SBS MTV's The Show on March 5. Hongjoong was featured in Chung Ha's single "Eenie Meenie" on March 11. Ateez participated in the first K-pop exhibition hosted by the Grammy Museum from April 10 to June 10, and performed at KCON Hong Kong 2024 on March 31.

January 2025: Ateez Album Sales and Chart Success

As of January 2025, Ateez has released a significant discography, including eleven EPs, four studio albums, twenty-four singles, and one single album in Korean, along with Japanese releases. Multiple albums have topped the South Korean Circle Album Chart, with "Zero: Fever Part.1" achieving platinum certification and "The World EP.1: Movement" reaching million certification. The album "The World EP.Fin: Will" marked their first No.1 on the Billboard 200, and they have secured numerous No.1s on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart. They also became the first South Korean act to have three releases in the top 10 of the UK Official Albums Chart within a single year.