TVXQ Duo

The ongoing drama of Korean boy band TVXQ and its offshoots in Japan keeps getting more interesting.

The group, reduced to two members after the three other members bolted in 2009 in a dispute with management, closed the 2011 A-Nation concert in Tokyo Aug. 27, which is held annually by Avex, one of Japan’s biggest record labels.

The concert features most of the label’s top acts, and for the past eight years Avex’s biggest-selling artist, J-pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki, has been the closing artist.

However, this year the label made the unannounced decision to have TVXQ close the concert.

A week later, TVXQ joined other K-pop acts managed by SM Entertainment, including Girls Generation and Super Junior, for three days of sold-out concerts at the Tokyo Dome.

Avex represents TVXQ in Japan, though it also ostensibly represents JYJ, the three members who left TVXQ and SM two years ago.

For the past year, Avex has not actively promoted JYJ in Japan and has even sought to prevent the trio from performing live on their own.
However, last week Japanese promoter Zak Corporation announced on its home page that it would present concerts by JYJ on Oct. 15-16.

The announcement has yet to specify the name of the venue or even the city.