Due to unforeseen circumstances, contract fulfillment, or scandals, some K-Pop groups had to end their careers at the height of their popularity. Here are nine groups that didn’t stand the test of time.
1. SISTAR
Following their 2010 debut, Starship Entertainment‘s four-member girl group kept rising in popularity with each comeback. SISTAR was so successful that Soyou never recalled a time when their album sales didn’t surpass expectations. However, the “Queens of Summer” surprised everyone with their disbandment in 2017.
SISTAR | Starship Entertainment
2. I.O.I
I.O.I was the first project group formed from the Produce 101 franchise. The eleven members debuted in 2016 and promptly disbanded less than a year later—before they could capitalize on their popularity.
I.O.I | News1
3. Seo Taiji and Boys
The legendary trio Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun Suk, and Lee Juno came together to form Seo Taiji and Boys in 1991. The group was at its peak when Seo Taiji announced his retirement in 1996, causing them to disband.
Seo Taiji and Boys. | KyungHyang TV
4. PRISTIN
Between the members’ popularity from Produce 101 and the pre-debut content that introduced them to the public, PRISTIN’s 2016 debut was highly anticipated. But as the Pledis Entertainment girl group gained popularity and debuted the unit PRISTIN V, everything fell apart. The spin-off group HINAPIA even disbanded less than a year after it debuted.
PRISTIN | Pledis Entertainment
5. H.O.T.
The famous boy group H.O.T. was so successful from 1996 to 2001 that fans protested against SM Entertainment when it was announced they were disbanding over a contract disagreement.
H.O.T. | hyunjong0831/Naver
6. X1
Like many of the groups mentioned, the Produce 101 project group X1 suffered from factors outside of their control. Just a few months after the group debuted and swept music shows with wins, a Produce 101 PD was arrested for manipulating votes and revealed that every season was rigged. The scandal was so big that the companies of the X1 members voted to disband the group months later.
X1 | @x1official101/Twitter
7. miss A
From 2010 to 2015, JYP Entertainment‘s girl group miss A constantly ranked high on the charts with every title track. Despite reaching number one with their last album, the group disbanded after half of the members left the company.
miss A
8. 2NE1
2NE1 may be the saddest case of them all. From 2009 to 2014, the group constantly topped the charts with their title tracks. Because of their popularity, fans and the members were caught off guard by YG Entertainment’s sudden announcement to disband the group. Years later, the members still speak about how heartbreaking the news was and how the company never told them.
2NE1 | YG Entertainment
9. Wanna One
Unlike most Produce 101 project groups, Wanna One lasted much longer than most. The group broke records and achieved so much success that Swing Entertainment was created specifically for them after their first contract ended. The group went strong from 2017 to 2019 until they disbanded—but have reunited on a few occasions because of their neverending popularity.
Wanna One | @WannaOne_twt/Twitter
Honorable Mention: The Original TVXQ Lineup
Although TVXQ is still going strong as a duo with Yunho and Changmin, the original five-member lineup was at the peak of its popularity when Kim Jaejoong, Kim Junsu (Xia), and Park Yoochun filed a lawsuit that rocked the industry. Fans were devastated the three members left the group.
The original five members of TVXQ.
