Looking Back at Dreamcatcher's Footsteps in the K-Pop Industry, Previously Debuted as Five Under the Name MINX and Participated in the Survival Program MIXNINE

Kapanlagi.com - InSomnia, the name of the fans of Dreamcatcher, have been feeling anxious and sad since yesterday. On March 10, 2025, Dreamcatcher Company (formerly Happyface Entertainment) announced that Handong, Dami, and Gahyun will be ending their contracts at the end of March.

Although they will no longer be under DCC, the three are said to continue their activities as members of Dreamcatcher. This news has made fans worried and afraid that the day Dreamcatcher will be active as seven members is still a long way off.

'FINALE OF 7 DOORS' will be Dreamcatcher's concert tour as seven members for the time being. It is still unknown whether there will be plans for a concert tour in a complete formation in the future.

Dreamcatcher is a seven-member girl group in K-Pop known for its horror concept and rock genre songs. The members of Dreamcatcher consist of JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami, and Gahyun. Here is a brief overview of their career journey in the South Korean music industry.

1. Starting a Career with 5 People Using the Name MINX

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: Happyface Entertainment)

JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, and Dami are the first five members of Dreamcatcher who ventured into the K-Pop world. The five of them debuted under the name MINX with their first single titled Why Did You Come To My Home? on August 9, 2014. A year later, Happyface Entertainment launched Love Shake as the second single from MINX.

The concept they offered was indeed very different from what Dreamcatcher presents now. Back then, MINX used a concept that tended to give a bright and fresh impression. Meanwhile, Dreamcatcher appears more bold with a rock and horror concept that has become very much a part of their image.

2. Group Formation Increases, MINX Re-Debuts as Dreamcatcher

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: x.com/hf_dreamcatcher)

Since the release of their last single, MINX has not followed many schedules outside of promoting Love Shake at weekly music events. Until finally, in November 2016, Happyface Entertainment announced that MINX had ended all group activities. However, the good news is that soon, they will debut again with a new name and additional new members.

Handong and Gahyun are the names of the new members reported to be joining the new formation of MINX in Dreamcatcher, a girl group with a horror concept that is expected to bring rock as the main genre of their upcoming songs. Dreamcatcher then officially released their first single album titled NIGHTMARE on January 13, 2017, with Chase Me as the title track.

3. MIXNINE, a Survival Program Participated by Some Members

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: JTBC & YG Entertainment)

Not long after making their comeback with the song Fly High, fans were surprised by the news that four members of Dreamcatcher would participate in a survival program initiated by JTBC and YG Entertainment. The program is known as MIXNINE.

Actually, all seven members of Dreamcatcher unanimously attended the auditions held by MIXNINE because the founder and producer of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun-suk, personally visited their agency. However, only four members were selected to participate in the program: JiU, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, and Dami.

Although JiU ranked first in the MIXNINE rankings, Happyface Entertainment announced that all members of Dreamcatcher participating would withdraw during the course of the program. This was due to a tour schedule in Brazil conflicting with the timing of the MIXNINE program.

4. First Time Winning a Music Event Trophy After 5 Years of Debut

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: x.com/hf_dreamcatcher)

On April 12, 2022, Dreamcatcher released the first album of the APOCALYPSE trilogy. The album is titled APOCALYPSE: SAVE US. The song MAISON, which is the title track of the album, gained a lot of public attention due to its lyrics that seem to care about the environment.

Through MAISON, Dreamcatcher finally won their first music event trophy since their debut 5 years ago. Tears of joy from both the members and fans 'burst' over this achievement.

5. Repeatedly Successful in Holding World Concert Tours

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: x.com/hf_dreamcatcher)

Although often underestimated due to their not-so-large popularity in Korea, Dreamcatcher proves that their name is well-known outside of Korea. They have repeatedly held concert tours abroad and successfully sold out tickets.

'LUCK INSIDE 7 DOORS' is the most recent world tour currently being conducted by Dreamcatcher. The tour started on January 13, 2024, in Seoul and will expand across Europe, Latin America, the United States, Australia, and several other Asian countries.

6. Performing JUSTICE for the Last Comeback as Seven

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: x.com/hf_dreamcatcher)

Before releasing a special Christmas single, Dreamcatcher presented their 10th mini album for InSomnia. JUSTICE is the title track chosen to be promoted from stage to stage on weekly K-Pop music shows.

Once again, Dreamcatcher successfully captivated many hearts with the song JUSTICE. In this song, almost all members sing parts that have quite high notes. They received a lot of praise for the stability of their live performances.

As of now, the music video for JUSTICE has reached over 28 million views since its release day. The album VIRTUOUS itself has recorded sales of 73,506 copies on Hanteo in its first week.

7. Successfully Passed the "7-Year Curse", Now Its Members Must Scatter

The career journey of Dreamcatcher. (credit: x.com/hf_dreamcatcher)

When they had not yet reached 7 years since their debut, Dreamcatcher renewed their contract with DCC in 2022. This announcement immediately made InSomnia happy because their beloved girl group successfully passed the "7-year curse" that is deeply rooted in K-Pop. However, their happiness has now turned into sadness due to the sudden announcement from DCC regarding the end of the contracts for Handong, Dami, and Gahyun.

While waiting for the Dreamcatcher formation to be whole again, DCC will debut a subunit consisting of JiU, SuA, and Yoohyeon. Meanwhile, Siyeon is reported to focus on activities with her new band first.

(kpl/rtr)