SEVENTEEN Dino’s Solo Debut Sparks Backlash And Protests 

Some think the protest plans have gone too far.
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Koreaboo

As the members of SEVENTEEN have enlisted, the group has expanded into more solo projects and unit activities.

SEVENTEEN-This-man
SEVENTEEN | Pledis

The most recent duo announcement, DK X Seungkwan, made their debut in January 2026, following other duo units that had activities before their members enlisted. Of the members who have yet to enlist, only Vernon and Dino have not had a duo debut.

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SEVENTEEN’s Vernon (left) and Dino (right).

However, on May 10, it was announced that Dino would make his official solo debut later this year. In teasers shared on SEVENTEEN’s official accounts, it was revealed that Dino would debut under the name of his character, Picheolin.

Picheolin originated from a VCR during the 2021 Caratland fan meeting, and is an older producer and CEO of a fictional agency, known for his comedic ways.

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SEVENTEEN’s Dino as Pi Cheolin

While many fans were amused that he would use the character as a stage name and concept for his debut, others were less than pleased. Many fans in Korea felt that his solo debut album should be released under his actual name rather than a comedic character’s name.

I hate that Dino’s first solo album — and possibly his last activity before enlisting — is being released only under the name of his alter ego “Pi Cheolin,” with Dino’s own name and identity completely erased from it.

Dino has always kept Pi Cheolin and himself completely separate, and Dino fans have always maintained that stance as well.

The reason we were fond of the character Pi Cheolin in the first place was because it was a character Dino personally brought to life through his own effort and talent, despite originally being nothing more than a shallow one-line character setup given to him by the production team. But the moment the company started continuously exploiting his hard work and talent to make up for their own lackluster planning, Dino fans could no longer purely say they liked the character anymore.

Because if we openly said we liked it, this complacent company would just keep using Dino only as Pi Cheolin instead of recognizing Dino himself and the incredible talent he has. And didn’t that already happen? A character created back in 2021 was still being reused in 2026, even appearing in promotional content for another unit.

No matter whose idea this mini album was, in the end, it’s still a misguided concept. An activity that should be filled with excitement and anticipation more than anything else is instead making so many people upset before it’s even begun. Do you really think this is right? […]

— OP

As a result, demands have been made towards Pledis to alter his debut, with some planning a protest truck to be sent to the company.

Notice for the “No Picheolin” Protest Truck Support
We are planning to organize a protest truck demanding that this solo album be released under the name of artist Dino, not under the name “Pi Cheolin.”
Details on how to donate can be found through the payment form below.

We ask for your interest and participation in helping Dino reclaim his name.

— OP

While some agree with the idea of the album being under his name, ,many fans both domestic and abroad agree that sending protest trucks would be too extreme.

Dino’s debut will take place on August 3, 2026, with the mini album 吉Board. 

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