Aside from the typical idol groups, several project groups also debut in the K-pop industry. Some of them are formed through survival shows, while others were created for a CF or for a TV show. K-pop project groups usually have contracts of one or two years and will end up disbanding. This is their biggest difference with the usual idol groups, which have contracts that normally last for seven years.
Over the years, several K-pop project groups captured the hearts of the public. Below are five examples.
5 Popular K-pop Project Groups That Unfortunately Disbanded
I.O.I
I.O.I is the very first K-pop project group created through Mnet's "Produce 101" series. They are also known as the one that kick-started the project group craze. Consisting of 11 members, they were particularly formed through "Produce 101" Season 1 in 2016 and garnered immense popularity both in Korea and overseas. They are greatly famous for the song "Very Very Very," which earned them their first music show win.
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Sadly, I.O.I's contract was only for 10 months, and so they disbanded on Jan. 29, 2017. Their last activity together was filming a new CF for school uniform brand Elite alongside PENTAGON. Their last music release is the song "Downpour" co-produced by SEVENTEEN Woozi.
IZ*ONE
Another popular K-pop project group inside and outside Korea is IZ*ONE. Formed through Mnet's "Produce 48" in 2018, the girl group comprised 12 members, nine are Korean and three are Japanese. During their first year of debut, they took home Best New Female Artist at the Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Rookie of the Year at the Asia Artist Awards.
Because they only had a contract period of two years and six months, IZ*ONE disbanded on April 29, 2021. Many fans loved the group so much that they didn't want them to end their activity. In fact, fans even raised over a million dollars to relaunch the group.
WANNA ONE
Even though people were aware that WANNA ONE was only a project boy group, that didn't stop them from giving love and support to the band. WANNA ONE came into fruition through Mnet's "Produce 101" Season 2, which aired in 2017. Out of all the "Produce" seasons, the second season gained the most attention, recording an average viewership rating of 5.3%.
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Throughout their career, WANNA ONE swept all the Rookie Awards (or similar) at all major award shows in Korea, as well as some Bonsang and Daesang awards. The boy group then ended their activity in January 2019 with a three-day concert.
X1
X1 is another popular K-pop project group that fans were sad to see disband. They were the final project group created through Mnet's "Produce" series, specifically "Produce X 101" which aired in 2019. Made up of 11 members, X1 received massive support and love from the fans at that time of their debut.
In fact, they won a total of 11 music show wins for their debut song "Flash." Their debut album "Emergency: Quantum Leap" even sold half a million of copies in South Korea alone.
Unfortunately, X1 disbanded in January 2020 after the producer of "Produce X 101" admitted to manipulating the vote rankings. Their disbandment is probably one of the heartbreaking moments for many fans.
Refund Sisters
Unlike the project groups mentioned above, Refun Sisters wasn't formed through a survival show but they were formed through the MBC variety show "Hangout with Yoo" and consisted of Lee Hyori, Uhm Junghwa, MAMAMOO Hwasa, and Jessi.
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Refund Sisters' debut song "Don't Touch Me" was well-received in South Korea. It swept the top spots on major real-time charts and went on to achieve perfect all-kill. All proceeds from the track were donated to charity.
The quartet eventually disbanded in November 2020.
Which other popular K-pop project groups were you sad to see disband? Comment down below!
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Written by Maria Scott
