5 K-Pop Groups That Disbanded for Shocking Reasons

Most of the time, K-Pop groups disband because of reasons like creative differences or the desire to pursue other career paths. But these groups disbanded due to such a peculiar reason that many people talk about this to this day…

In this post, we’ll dive into some of the most notorious and shocking disbandments in the world of K-Pop. From blackmail and lawsuits to unexpected agency decisions and wild rumors, these stories serve as cautionary tales for both fans and the industry. Keep reading to see how each group’s journey came to an end and the lessons we can learn from them.

Table of Contents

• GLAM: BigHit’s First-Ever Girl Group
• B.A.P: The TS Entertainment Lawsuit
• 2NE1: Shocking Disbandment by YG Entertainment
• K’Pop: The Rumored Relationship Scandal
• Sharp: A Whirlwind of Emotions and Controversy
• Conclusion

GLAM: BigHit’s First-Ever Girl Group

If we’re talking about some messy disbandments, GLAM definitely belongs to this category. The 5-member girl group debuted in 2012 with the single “Party (XXO)”, and their career was ridden with controversies from the beginning. Dahee’s scandal from September of 2014 caused the group to be known by the general public, as GLAM never reached the stardom they might have wanted.

For those of you that don’t know, she was accused of threatening the actor Lee Byung Hyun with blackmail. Together with the model Lee Ji Yeon, the two women sent numerous threats to Lee Byung Hyun and requested large sums of money from him.

During the court process, Dahee and Lee Ji Yeon testified that they blackmailed the famous actor because the duo didn’t like the way Lee Byung Hun behaved towards Lee Ji Yeon after the two broke up, alleging he treated her as if she was “an object to play with.” In their eyes, what they did served as some sort of revenge, stating they didn’t do this for financial gain. However, the court was able to prove, thanks to the messages shared between Lee Byung Hun and Lee Ji Yeon, that there was no romantic relationship between them and that the women truly committed the crime for the purpose of financial gain. In the end, Dahee was sentenced to one year in prison while Lee Ji Yeon was given one year and six months in prison. While some groups are able to overcome their controversies, Dahee’s scandal led the group to their inevitable disbandment not too long after the official sentences were given out.

B.A.P: The TS Entertainment Lawsuit

TS Entertainment is notoriously known for disbanding or mismanaging many of their groups, and B.A.P is the saddest example. Debuting with the song “Warrior” in 2012, their career started to take off in the following years, and they were very close to becoming one of the biggest artists of the decade. Unfortunately, only three years after their debut, the group got involved in a huge lawsuit scandal with their own company, and their career and success started to spiral. B.A.P asked their agency to nullify their contracts, citing unfair working conditions and profit distributions as the reason. According to B.A.P, they earned around 9 million dollars over the 3 years they were actively promoting, but each member was only paid a total of 18 thousand dollars.

They also criticized the company for issuing contracts that only benefited them, further taking issue with their unreasonably long 7-year contract, intrusion of privacy, and causes of exploitation. TS Entertainment tried to refute the claims, stating that there was no mistreatment of the members or unfair clauses in the contract. Their attempt to salvage the situation was challenged by B.A.P once again when they released yet another statement, calling out their agency for lack of accountability, claiming they even considered filing for defamation of character. The group managed to reach a settlement with their agency, but nothing was the same as the group disbanded as soon as their contracts expired in 2019.

2NE1: Shocking Disbandment by YG Entertainment

2NE1 performing together after all those years at Coachella in 2022 truly healed something for so many of their fans and K-Pop fans in general. If there is one group who’s been done truly dirty by their agency, it’s 2NE1, as YG Entertainment announced the group’s disbandment in November of 2016 out of nowhere.

Even though Minzy had left the agency and the group prior to their disbandment, it was a huge shock not only to their fans but to the members as well, as they had no idea their disbandment was even in the works. In fact, all of them found out about the disbandment through the media since YG wasn’t somehow able to tell them this huge news in person.

CL shared she was at a Thanksgiving dinner when her phone started to blow up with the news. The group was even in the middle of recording for a new album when their career was suddenly cut short.

Industry reporter Lee Jin Ho investigated the situation further and alleged that YG struggled to maintain and “control” one specific member of the group. Ultimately, the company decided to give up on 2NE1.

Lee Jin Ho also claimed that because of how sudden the group’s disbandment was, BLACKPINK’s debut was pushed earlier than originally planned. To this day, many 2NE1 fans are deeply saddened that the girls had absolutely no choice in the ultimate decision, and their opinions were not considered at all. Nothing prior to their disbandment alluded that they might want to stop performing as a group. Even though the members are now successful in their own solo careers and have even reunited for a tour recently, their disbandment remains one of the greatest losses in K-Pop.

K’Pop: The Rumored Relationship Scandal

There are a lot of truly ridiculous and wild stories coming from the first generation of K-Pop, but K’Pop, also known as K’Population, probably takes the cake. Consisting of five members, K’Pop made their debut in 2001, and even though they weren’t as popular back then as they are now, the group was an instant success which grew more in the following years. It’s also thanks to them that we now have the term “k-pop,” as they came up with it to create the Korean equivalent of K-Pop. Their debut song, “Shadow” from their self-titled album, topped numerous Korean charts and even earned them the “Flower Boys” title.

After the initial success of “Shadow,” the group went on to release two other albums, which also received love and support. Overall, everything was going well for them until 2004, when major news struck their fandom. Seemingly overnight, K’Pop announced their disbandment without giving any further information about their decision. As it usually goes in fandom spaces, rumors started to spread very quickly.

According to those rumors, K’Pop disbanded due to relationship issues between two members of the group. Allegedly, two K’Pop members were dating each other when one of them cheated on another male idol, escalating into a physical fight. To this day, no names have been revealed, but many people who believe the rumor alleged it could be Youngwon and Woohyun, as they reportedly got into a fight. The physical altercation and infidelity then reportedly caused a rift between the members, who decided that disbandment might be the best solution. However, based on what one of the group’s fans shared online, there were never any members in a relationship, and the entire rumor stemmed from a joke posted to an online forum in 2007.

In fact, many fans believe that the rumor stemmed from an actual fight between Youngwon and Woohyun, but there was no dating involved. After their disbandment, it seems like the group vanished into thin air.

Many of the members went on to pursue different career options, like Donghwa, who decided to become an actor. Much to their fans’ surprise, Donghwa was the only member to speak about the group’s disbandment. Apparently, they started to notice some issues within their management company, and it seemed there was no other solution than disbandment. Although we might never know the full truth about their disbandment, the alleged relationship is nothing but a widely spread rumor.

Sharp: A Whirlwind of Emotions and Controversy

Following with the wild stories from the first generation of K-Pop, Sharp is yet another group whose disbandment was a whirlwind of emotions. Sharp debuted in 1998 and was one of the first groups in K-Pop to have both male and female members. After two of the original members left and two new ones joined the group, Sharp went on to release five albums in the short four years they were together before officially disbanding in 2002. The cause of their disbandment was said to be two of the members, Lee Ji Hye and Seo Ji Young, who got into a quite public controversy involving some really bad blood between them.

As the group grew more popular, Lee Ji Hye received a lot of recognition for her beautiful visuals and incredible singing. Seo Ji Young allegedly couldn’t stand the amount of love Ji Hye was receiving, especially since her wealthy family was supporting the group and was part of the reason the group was formed in the first place. Her jealousy only grew stronger, and she manipulated the other members to cast Ji Hye aside, essentially driving her out of their friendship group. Ji Hye couldn’t handle Ji Young’s jealousy and taunting, and the situation escalated in the infamous elevator incident where she allegedly physically attacked Ji Young twice, having finally been fed up with the mistreatment.

Despite Ji Hye apologizing to both Ji Young and her father, he still requested her apology be public. While many thought this would settle things, Ji Young only took it up a notch and allegedly sent her boyfriend to threaten Ji Hye on her behalf. Ji Young’s mother also allegedly swore at Ji Hye. Things escalated further when Ji Young’s family announced a press conference with the purpose of outcasting Ji Hye from the group. During the conference, Ji Young claimed that Ji Hye punched her continuously over 7 times, adding that she never actually cussed Ji Hye out. Thankfully, the group’s manager stood up for Ji Hye during the press conference and offered to call witnesses who heard Ji Young cussing at her fellow member. Because of how severe the situation was, the group never reconciled, and they disbanded shortly after the scandal.

It seems, though, that Ji Hye and Ji Young eventually managed to bury the hatchet and are now known to be good friends. This only proves that even if some of these disbandments are truly messy, people can still stay on good terms with each other.

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These disbandments serve as some of the most shocking moments in K-Pop, reminding fans and newcomers alike that the industry isn’t always glamorous. From major scandals and lawsuits to agency mismanagement and personal conflicts, these stories highlight the complexities and pressures that idols can face. While it’s always sad to see groups disband, the lessons learned from these cases remind us to support healthier conditions and fair treatment for all K-Pop artists.

Which of these disbandments shocked you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below!