K-Pop: What caused all-male idol group K'Pop to disband in 2004?

K’Pop, a group of five members including Donghwa, Jumin, Youngwon, Yoobin, and Woohyun are considered as first-generation K-pop idols according to many K-media reports. The band debuted in 2001 and were an instant success in the upcoming years. However, K’Pop did not last for more than four years. In the latter half of 2004, the group disbanded due to speculative reports of gay relationships between the members.

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K’Pop’s rise and fall

K’Pop debuted with the song Shadow from the self-titled, K’Pop album. They topped several Korean charts according to music chart reports. Their fame gave them the 'flower boy' title by the fans, which means desirable in Korean pop culture. After Shadow, they released two other albums which were also an added achievement to the group. However, their fame lived a short life after the news of their disbandment in 2004. This was after the last track Scent of Memory from the album Memories, released in September. The last track made it to top 10 of the national charts, but could not save the band.

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Personal relationships caused band's downfall?

Reportedly, some members of the all-male K’Pop were dating each other. According to reports, the rumour of infidelity between the members led to a massive meltdown. More rumours stated that one of the members reportedly assaulted the person they were dating in question. It is however not clear that who exactly was reportedly involved in the violent act.

A group's disbandment is not a new concept in the Korean Music industry. It is relatively common. However, the rumours were a huge blow to the hostile industry.

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Their latest appearance 

One of the members Kim Bum Suk, known by his stage name Donghwa, returned as an actor. When asked about the rumours, he simply clarified that there were problems within the management and so the group disbanded. In 2018, the group made a special appearance on Sugarman 2, which is an interview program and former popular celebs are called as guests.

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