K-pop idols spend months to several years training to make their debut. However, some of their careers can end in a blink of an eye when they become entangled in controversies and scandals. While many ended up withdrawing from their group due to past issues, others were forced to take a hiatus from group and solo activities.
With that, here are K-pop idols who were told to leave their group due to scandals at some point in their career.
1. EXO Chen
Even before Kim Garam made her debut with LE SSERAFIM, the rookie idol was already entangled in a school bullying scandal after being accused as a perpetrator. However, HYBE and Source Music denied the claims and pushed through with her debut. But not long after Kim Garam officially debuted, she was again plagued with heavy backlash after more alleged evidence and victims of her school bullying past were shared.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: HYBE Terminates Kim Garam's Exclusive Contract, Leaves LE SSERAFIM
Fans and netizens had already called for the removal of Kim Garam even before she debuted, but her company continued to deny the claims and even took legal action. But due to the public condemnation, Kim Garam was forced to take a hiatus just days after. On July 20, HYBE and Source Music officially terminated her contract.
6. Soojin
In 2021, a netizen claiming to be Soojin's former classmate accused the idol of bullying. They claimed she was a school thug who smoked, drank underage, and hung with the wrong crowd. Initially taking a hiatus, the allegations became more drastic after actress Seo Shin Ae alluded to being one of Soojin's victims.
In August 2021, Soojin left (G)I-DLE following massive hate trains that petitioned for her removal. She left CUBE Entertainment in March 2022. That same year, it was discovered the school's Autonomous Committee for School Violence Countermeasures found her not guilty and, in fact, she had been the victim of bullying.
7. RIIZE Seunghan
RIIZE debuted in 2023 and Seunghan quickly garnered attention for his visuals. However, excitement turned to contempt after previous actions he did pre-debut were brought into light.
In August 2023, photos of him kissing his ex-girlfriend, as well as photos of them in a hotel, were leaked online. Some believed the girlfriend was underage, but this was never confirmed. Soon, images and videos of Seunghan smoking were also leaked.
On top of that, someone claiming to be ex-friends with Seunghan claimed that he was discriminatory to other trainees and engaged with female trainees from other agencies. A video of Seunghan allegedly bad mouthing LE SSERAFIM member Eunchae in a private live stream with TXT Soobin also earned him backlash.
Since November 22, 2023, Seunghan has been on an indefinite hiatus from RIIZE activities. SM Entertainment has stated they will submit a complaint to the police and will take legal action against those spreading misinformation with malicious intent.
8. Heochan
Heochan left VICTON in October 2022. This came after the idol received massive backlash for drunk driving.
On September 20, VICTON's agency confirmed Heochan was caught drunk driving. Following his DUI, his license was canceled and he was puit on hiatus. Heochan shared an apology on Instagram, saying he repents his actions and will reflect on what he had done.
However, the hate proved too difficult to overcome. On October 11, Heochan left VICTON, with the agency stating he did not want to cause further damage to the group.
9. Ravn
In October 2022, former ONEUS member was accused of cheating and gaslighting his girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend took to social media to accuse the idol of raping and cheating on her several times. She made her post after Ravn broke up with her, claiming his Korean girlfriend forced him to.
The ex-girlfriend, who is Japanese, claimed he was two-timing with a girlfriend in Korea that he began dating in 2020 at the same time. The Japanese girlfriend allegedly moved to Korea to end their long-distance relationship, but Ravn would use her house as a hotel, make her pay for everything, and would drink and hook up with other girls.
Following the allegations, former fans exposed the idol begging his supporters to buy him expensive gifts. All of these accusations spurred a massive hate train against the idol, with many saying his actions were despicable.
RBW initially announced they would look into the allegations and that Ravn would be suspending his activities. Soon after, RBW announced Ravn left ONEUS on his own volition, saying he did not want to cause more trouble for his group.
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Written by Robyn Joan
