H.O.T. (High Five of Teenagers) is regarded as the first K-pop idol group in history, and their success in the Korean entertainment industry gave birth to more idol groups. The boy band debuted back in 1996. Now that it has been 26 years since then, what could have happened to H.O.T.?
Keep on reading to know where the H.O.T. members are at present.
About H.O.T., The First K-pop Idol Group in History
Lee Soo Man, SM Entertainment's founder, formed H.O.T based on the data gathered amongh high school students through a poll regarding the ideal pop group they like. The group was made up of five members namely Kangta, Heejoon, Jaewon, Woohyuk and Tony.
H.O.T. stepped into the Korean music industry in 1996 as the first K-pop idol group. The quintet's first release is the album "We Hate All Kinds of Violence," which impressively sold 1.5 million copies.
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In the following years, H.O.T. dropped more albums, which all sold more than one million copies. They also participated in or held several concerts in different countries. Notably, they are the first K-pop group to perform at the Seoul Olympic Stadium.
When September 2000 came, the first K-pop idol group released their fifth album "Outside Castle." This album served as their last work as H.O.T. later disbanded in May 2001. It was announced that members Woohyuk, Tony and Jaewon decided not to renew their contracts with SM Entertainment which led to the group's disbandment.
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It was later reported that the contract disagreements between SM Entertainment and H.O.T. were because of the members' wage, which was just around $10,000 for every one million copies of albums they sold.
In February 2018, H.O.T. had a reunion on the variety show "Infinite Challenge." This is their first appearance as a full group since 2003.
What Happened to the H.O.T. Members After Group's Disbandment?
Former H.O.T. Tony
After H.O.T.'s disbandment, Tony, along with his bandmates Woohyuk and Jaewon, joined Yejeon Media. The trio then re-debuted as JTL, which enjoyed moderate success before unofficially disbanding in 2003 as each member focused more on solo activities.
Tony Ahn then established his own label, TN Nation Entertainment, which housed artists including the boy group SMASH, the girl group Awesome Baby, former Click-B Yoo Hosuk, and other celebrities.
TN Nation Entertainment has a subsidiary label, WOORIDLE Company, which manages several actors and comedians like Park Eun Hye, Kim Kyung Ran, among others. Former H.O.T. Tony acts as the label's CEO.
In 2021, Tony Ahn appeared on the TV series "Second Husband" and "Fly Again." He is currently a host on KBS2's "Boss in the Mirror."
Former H.O.T. Woohyuk
Woohyuk acted as the CEO of Newest Entertainment (a dancing academy) after JTL disbanded. He then pursued a solo career under Sponge Entertainment and achieved fame in China and Taiwan.
He later left Sponge Entertainment and created his own label WH Creative, where he is a rapper, choreographer and DJ (as XXXV).
In November 2021, former H.O.T. member Woohyuk dropped his fourth single "Tonight," which features the title song of the same name and the B-side "Dirty Vibes."
Former H.O.T. Jaewon
Jaewon made his solo debut two years after JTL's disbandment. He released his first studio album "No Pain, No Gain" in April 2005.
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Little information about former H.O.T. member Jaewon is known. However, according to reports, he signed with Tony Ahn's label TN Entertainment.
Today, it is uncertain whether he is currently under a company or is a free agent. But, he regularly updates his Instagram account.
Former H.O.T. Kangta
After H.O.T. disbanded, Kangta together with Heejoon received lucrative contracts from SM Entertainment as a solo artist. He quickly made his solo debut in August 2001 with his first solo album "Polaris."
At present, former H.O.T member Kangta remains as an artist under SM Entertainment. In 2021, he released several digital singles including "Freezing," "Christmas in July," "Maybe," among others. On Jan. 12, 2022, he dropped his fourth single "Slow Dance."
Former H.O.T. Heejoon
Like Kangta, Moon Heejoon also made his debut as a solo artist under SM Entertainment. He released three albums after leaving the company and establishing his own label, PS Entertainment. He also signed with SidusHQ in 2005, joined KOEN Stars in 2015 and moved to TN Entertainment in 2017.
Former H.O.T. member Heejoon is currently an artist under IOK Company, which also houses former IKON B.I, former GFRIEND Sowon and more.
H.O.T. Heejoon is the husband of former Crayon Pop Soyul. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in May 2017.
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
