Taemin to Comeback in October, Join KBS 'The Unit' Reality Show

SM Entertainment has confirmed that SHINee's Taemin is making a solo comeback in October. Also confirmed are reports that Taemin will be joining the KBS reality show "The Unit" in the role of a mentor. "The Unit" premiere air date is set for October 28.

Taemin has been with SHINee since the group made its debut in 2008. He first struck out as a solo act in 2014 with the release of his mini-album "Ace." Two years later, he went solo again, dropping his first full-length album "Press It." The lead single "Press Your Number" had originally been written by Bruno Mars, but Taemin wrote new Korean lyrics. "Press It" made it to the top of Korea's Hanteo music chart in its first week.

In July this year, SM Entertainment announced that Taemin would have a comeback with his third Korean album in August. But the album release got postponed for two months as it required additional improvement. In August, Taemin did hold his first-ever solo concert, "Off-sick," notes Yonhap News.

Soompi reports that Taemin has been confirmed as a cast member of the upcoming audition-style program "The Unit" on KBS 2TV. The show is described as an "Idol Rebooting Project" that aims to uncover the unrealized potential of current and former idols. The ultimate goal of the project is the formation of two dream teams: two new unit groups, one male, and one female, each comprising ten members.

Taemin will be on "The Unit" as a mentor, providing advice to the Idol contestants. He is the newest confirmed member of the show's impressive lineup of mentors, which includes Rain, San E, Hwang Chi Yeol and Urban Zakapa's Jo Hyun Ah. HyunA and Sunmi may also be joining as mentors, but their participation has not been confirmed so far.