TVXQ

TVXQ
U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin performing at the K-Pop World Festival, November 2012
Background information
Also known as	Tohoshinki DBSK TVfXQ
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	Pop dance R&B electronic rock
Years active	2003 (2003)–present (on hiatus)
Labels	S.M. Entertainment Avex Trax Rhythm Zone
Associated acts	SM Town
Website	tvxq.smtown.com toho-jp.net
Members	U-Know Yunho Max Changmin
Past members	Hero Jaejoong Micky Yoochun Xiah Junsu

TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (Chinese: 東方神起), is a South Korean pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as Tohoshinki (東方神起, Tōhōshinki^?) in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of their Korean name Dong Bang Shin Ki (Hangul: 동방신기). Their name roughly translates to "Rising Gods of the East".

Formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2003, TVXQ began as a five-member boy band composed of members U-Know Yunho, Max Changmin, Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu. They were immediately launched to mainstream recognition following the release of their first physical single "Hug" (2004), which peaked at number four on the MIAK monthly music chart. Their first studio albums Tri-Angle (2004) and Rising Sun (2005) were both top sellers, pushing the band's popularity beyond Korea. Under Avex, TVXQ entered the Japanese market with their first Japanese album Heart, Mind and Soul (2006), but it was met with limited success.

TVXQ rose to international prominence in the late 2000s, after the group achieved critical acclaim in the Korean music industry for their best-selling albums "O"-Jung.Ban.Hap. (2006) and Mirotic (2008), both winning the Golden Disk Award for Album of the Year. The latter album also contains the pop hit "Mirotic", touted by international music critics as a staple song of K-pop. With four chart-topping singles, TVXQ gained widespread media attention in Japan following the release of their fourth Japanese album The Secret Code (2009). However, despite their commercial success, the group plunged into legal turmoil and internal conflict when members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu attempted to split from their Korean agency S.M. Entertainment. Prior to the trio's departure in 2010, TVXQ released their last Japanese album as a quintet Best Selection 2010, which became the group's first album to top the Oricon Albums Chart. The album spawned two platinum-selling singles, including the long-running hit "Share the World / We Are!"