These 10 K-Pop Group Disbandments Shook The Industry
South Korean platform Exciting DC recently concluded a poll concerning group disbandments that shocked the K-pop realm.
Keep on reading to see which disbandments made it to the list.
1. GFRIEND
With 37% of the votes, GFRIEND ranked at number one.
GFRIEND's disbandment was the most recent, with the group formally parting ways on May 22.
On May 18, it was suddenly announced that GFRIEND would be leaving Source Music after failed contract negotiations. The day after, the members penned handwritten letters and shared them to their Weverse, confirming the group has disbanded.
Many were shocked by the news, as just a day prior to the announcement, Source Music was still releasing content for the group, and they still had activities laid out for the month. Those activities were ultimately canceled.
2. IZ*ONE
Ranking at second place with 15% of the votes is IZ*ONE.
While many would say this disbandment is not shocking due to the nature of the group — a project group with a two-year contract — many had believed that IZ*ONE would be getting an extension to their contract.
In Jan. 2021, it was reported that the agencies were discussing extending IZ*ONE activities, but just a month before they disbanded, talks fell through, and they dissolved as scheduled.
3. Seo Taiji and Boys
The third place went to Seo Taiji and Boys, who snagged 14% of the votes.
Seo Taiji disbanded in 1996, during its peak. According to member Lee Juno, Seo Taiji decided to separate the group while they were recording their fourth album, which surprised both Lee Juno and Yang Hyunsuk.
The group's disbandment announcement led to massive disappointment from millions of fans in South Korea.
The group released a final compilation album, "Goodbye Best Album," later that year.
4. 2NE1
2NE1 garnered 9% of the votes, ranking at fourth place.
2NE1 disbanded in Nov. 2016 after a two year hiatus. The members began to pursue their solo careers in 2014 following member Park Bom's drug scandal, and they had not made a single comeback during that time.
Prior to their disbandment, Minzy had left the group in April that year.
Despite their hiatus, many had not expected them to disband due to their reputation as worldwide superstars.
5. SISTAR
SISTAR ranked at fifth place with 8% of the votes.
In May 2017, Starship Entertainment dropped a teaser photo for SISTAR and announced that they would be making a comeback at the end of May.
However, they did not immediately announce that the comeback would be the last release for SISTAR and that they would be officially disbanding, leaving many fans shocked at the sudden announcement.
6. WANNA ONE
WANNA ONE ranked at sixth place with 6% of the votes.
WANNA ONE disbanded in Dec. 2018, just as their contracts stated. While they had a set time to disassemble, many were under the impression WANNA ONE would extend their contracts due to their brand recognition and marketing power.
However, contract negotiations fell through, and the project group disbanded as scheduled.
7. X1
With 3% of the votes, X1 took seventh place. This is arguably the more shocking disbandment from the "Produce" groups, as they did not reach the end of their contract before it was terminated.
X1 was under fire after it was discovered Mnet had manipulated the votes and pre-determined the line-up of the group, despite advertising the show as one where the one with the most fan votes would debut.
After the member's companies deliberated for an hour whether X1 would disband, a secret ballot was held. The agencies had agreed that they would only push through with activities if the votes were unanimous, but only four agencies decided to continue as a group.
This led to X1's disbandment.
X1 was not invited to the meeting, through Swing Entertainment CEO stated the members had wanted to attend.
8. PRISTIN
Garnering 2% of the votes is PRISTIN, who took eighth place. PRISTIN disbanded in 2019 after two years of no whole-group activities. The disbandment was considered sudden, as PLEDIS Entertainment had debuted PRISTIN's first sub-unit, PRISTIN V, in 2018, which led many to speculate that a whole group comeback was in the works.
9. Miss A
Miss A ranked at ninth place with 2% of the votes. Miss A disbanded in Dec. 2017 after a two-year hiatus.
Prior to their disbandment, Jis left JYP Entertainment in 2016, and Min left the company in Nov. 2017. Many were shocked that the group had disbanded and believed JYP Entertainment should have given them more opportunities to promote.
10. S#RP
Ranking in tenth place with 1% of the votes is S#ARP.
S#ARP disbanded in 2002 after four years as a group. Member Seo Ji Young was found guilty of verbal and physical assault against fellow member Lee Ji Hye. The former would bully the latter daily and would even invite family members to bully her.
Following their disbandment, Seo Ji Young tried to bribe their manager to lie about the bullying. The manager, however, refused the money and exposed Seo Ji Young.
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Written by Alexa Lewis
