Idol Was Kicked Out Of His Group For Dating — How He Was Eventually Added Back

Recently, news about Seunghan‘s removal from RIIZE has been a massive topic.

Seunghan was initially placed on hiatus after several privacy breaches, including alleged photos of him with a pre-debut girlfriend. Many supporters feel that the response to his initial resuming of activities was too harsh for the circumstances and that he should still be a member.

Fans Bombard SM Entertainment With Wreaths Protesting RIIZE Seunghan’s Return

This is not the first time an idol has faced removal from a group over dating; some have even resumed activities with their group afterward.

In 1999, the boy group g.o.d debuted under SidusHQ following a two-year formation process aided by JYP Entertainment and J.Y. Park.

The group grew in popularity quickly, selling a million copies of their third album just a year after their debut. Now, the group have cemented their place in history — but narrowly avoided disbandment after just two years.

In September 2001, following dating rumors between Joon Park and actress Han Go Eun, SidusHQ immediately issued a statement saying that he had been removed from the group.

The agency did so without informing any members of the group, which resulted in Joon Park holding a press conference where he talked about how the agency treated him. Park, 32, then expressed frustration with the situation and famously cried.

Fans of g.o.d immediately began withdrawing from the official fan club, advertised the agency’s treatment of Joon Park, returned merchandise and threatened to boycott concerts. The other members of g.o.d also held a press conference without informing their company, where they shared they did not approve of the removal of Joon Park from the group.

By November 2001, the agency had backed down, and Joon Park was no longer removed.

The group remained popular, even hosting a “100-day” concert tour that sold out every date. They eventually went on hiatus in 2006, with each of the members pursuing solo activities. They have since reunited as five members, and even appeared at KCON LA 2024.

Joon has since married a non-celebrity, and moments from his press conference have actually been used as memes.