13 Idol Groups That No Longer Exist, And Fans Miss Them Dearly
1. JBJ
JBJ was a project boy group made up of Produce 101 Season 2 competitors. JBJ was only expected to stay together for a year, but fans hoped that the group would continue after all six members expressed interest in extending their contracts. Unfortunately, the idols’ respective companies decided not to extend the contracts. JBJ officially debuted on October 18, 2017 and held their final concert on April 22, 2018, just before disbanding on April 30, 2018.
2. I.O.I
Dozens of talented female idols competed on Produce 101 Season 1 and by the end of the season, the top 11 came together to form I.O.I. This survival show girl group was only around for a year before the members returned to their respective companies. Together, they released 2 EP’s & six singles, with “Very Very Very” being their first music show win. I.O.I promoted together from April 2016 to January 2017, and are now back with their respective companies. Fans knew I.O.I couldn’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean they can’t dream!
3. 2AM
2AM was one of the two subgroups from the eleven-member boy band One Day. The other group is 2PM. 2AM debuted in 2008 with “This Song”, and produced many beautiful, easy-listening tracks such as “Never Let You Go”, “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me”, and “One Spring Day”. Fans were heartbroken when news of the group’s disbandment broke in 2014.
4. SISTAR
These “Queens Of Summer” debuted in 2010 and released popular summery bops for 7 years. They were also known as “fit-dols” for being in shape and for wearing gorgeous stage outfits that showed off their beautiful bodies. SISTAR was one of the most beloved girl groups in K-Pop, but still fell victim to the 7 year curse. In May 2017, SISTAR announced that “Lonely” would be their last comeback.
5. DMTN
DMTN, formerly Dalmatian, officially debuted on M! Countdown in 2010. The group experienced a number of member departures prior to its name and label change. In 2013, the group attempted to rebrand with the remaining members, but ended up going on hiatus following Daniel‘s marijuana scandal. Although the group has not officially disbanded, the members have denied possibilities of a group comeback and have been pursuing individual activities since 2014.
6. 2NE1
2NE1 was one of the most daring, innovative, and beloved girl groups in K-Pop, but even good things must come to an end. Once known as BIGBANG’s little sisters, 2NE1 blazed their own path through their unique fashion and sound. They achieved overseas success and collaborated with international artists, such as will.i.am and Japanese hip-hop duo m-flo. In April 2016, YG Entertainment confirmed Minzy‘s departure and officially announced the disbandment of the group in November 2016.
7. C-Clown
C-Clown was a 6-member boy group under Yedang Entertainment. They debuted with the mini-album Not Alone on July 18, 2012 and made their debut performance a day later, on M! Countdown. In April 2015, Rome changed his Instagram username and deleted all of his pictures, leading fans to speculate that trouble was brewing within the group. It turns out they were correct. On October 4, 2015, Yedang Entertainment announced C-Clown’s disbandment.
8. Wonder Girls
These “Retro Queens” swept the K-Pop world with smash hits like “Tell Me”, “So Hot”, and “Nobody”, but started to fizzle out after an unsuccessful US debut. In 2013, Sohee and Sunye left the company, but the remaining members made a valiant attempt to keep the Wonder Girls dream alive. The group continued on until 2017, when JYP Entertainment announced Wonder Girls’ disbandment; only Yubin and Hyerim renewed their contracts.
9. SPEED
SPEED was formed by MBK Entertainment in 2012 and promoted as Coed School‘s male unit until they became their own independent group a year later. During their 4-year run, they produced the album Super Speed, along with two EPs (Speed Circus, Speed On), and two single albums (Hommage to Lovey-Dovey, Speed of Light). In 2015, SPEED experienced a lineup change (two new members and the departure of their leader, Taewoon) before disbanding in 2016.
10. miss A
miss A was a popular girl group that was active from 2010 to 2017. Fans hoped they would survive the dreaded 7-year curse, but it was not to be. miss A debuted as the fastest girl group to win number one on a music show with their debut song, “Bad Girl Good Girl”. miss A experienced tremendous popularity, but after Jia left the group in 2016 and Min left in November 2017 JYP Entertainment confirmed that the group had disbanded, in December 2017.
11. History
History was LOEN Entertainment‘s first boy group. They debuted in 2013, after stirring up interest with a series of teaser trailers. The first teaser starred labelmate IU, and was called Do you know us?. History was nominated for the Melon Music Awards “Best New Artist” award in 2013, and earned a loyal fanbase during their 4-year run. The group’s disbandment was announced in May 2017, following Kyungil‘s enlistment and news that the rest of the members would be required to enlist in the near future.
12. KARA
KARA debuted in 2007 and was famous for their natural appeal and addictive dance moves. They experienced widespread success in Korea and Japan, and broke several records on the Oricon chart, but also experienced a number of controversies during their run. In 2014, Nicole and Jiyoung decided not to renew their contracts. The remaining members continued on with their new member, Youngji, but Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara ultimately decided not to renew their contracts in 2016.
13. Wanna One
Wanna One was formed through the second season of Produce 101, and the group immediately hit it big in Korea and overseas. During their time together, they toured the world, sold over 3.6 million copies of their albums in Korea alone, and were one of Korea’s biggest boy groups. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, as they disbanded following their final concert on January 27, 2019.
