Top 10 Most Shocking K-Pop Scandals
#10: “Produce 101” Voting Fraud
Imagine if it came out that Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and other “American Idol” winners didn’t really receive the most votes. That’s exactly what happened with “Produce 101.” During the Korean survival show’s fourth season in 2019, which set out to assemble the ultimate boy band, viewers noticed that the outcome didn’t line up with their votes. Police found enough evidence that the show’s employees and executives had helped some contestants get ahead while sabotaging others. Charges followed, and the parties faced fines, with some also receiving jail time. The group created that season, X1, disbanded following the scandal, staining the legacy of the huge hit show. To this day, several unfairly eliminated contestants have yet to receive justice.
#9: Sharp’s Disbandment
It’s easy to forget that earlier K-pop groups faced controversies too. Late ‘90s and early aughts favorites Sharp have a dark history: when Lee Ji-hye joined the group, bandmate Seo Ji-young allegedly subjected her to physical and verbal mistreatment. At their worst, the two singers were involved in an elevator scuffle. In a subsequent press conference, Sharp’s manager actually revealed Ji-young’s supposed behavior. The group ultimately broke up. It seemed like the former bandmates had patched things up at one point, but Ji-hye did recently cite Ji-young as the reason for Sharp’s split. While there have been countless K-pop scandals of this nature, few are more infamous than Sharp’s.
#8: Han Seo-hee’s Boy Band Dramas
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Han Seo-hee is a common denominator in countless boy band controversies, despite never debuting in a group herself. Authorities notably learned that she and Big Bang member T.O.P repeatedly smoked together. Then in 2019, rapper B.I departed from his group iKon after reportedly purchasing illicit substances in 2016. The dealer was Han Seo-hee. That same year, beloved idol Wonho left Monsta X to shield the group from substance use rumors, although they were later proven false. Han Seo-hee was among those fanning the flames and perpetuating the claims about him. Many also claimed that Seo-hee was a trainee under YG Entertainment, the company that manages Blackpink, but they’ve since denied ever working with her.
#7: Jessica Jung’s Departure From Girls’ Generation
Not since Ginger Spice has a girl group exit been so noteworthy. In 2014, Jessica Jung announced that she’d been kicked out of Girls’ Generation amid scheduling conflicts. The dismissal blindsided fans, and the whole ordeal seemed to leave the eight remaining members shaken as well. The situation likely created some awkward feelings between Jung and the others. At least on the surface, she no longer appears to be as close with most of her former groupmates. Years later, she published a fiction series about a girl group seemingly modeled after Girls’ Generation, and the portrayal was less-than-flattering. When the group recently reunited with a new album for their 15th anniversary, Jung didn’t return.
#6: Jung Joon-young’s Chat Room Scandal
In 2019, Korean star Jung Joon-young was exposed for organizing a group chat for illicit activity. On the messaging app KakaoTalk (kaKAOW-toh), he and others distributed videos of women in explicit and often non-consensual acts filmed on spy cameras throughout 2015 and 2016. Joon-young was arrested in March for assaulting the women and recording the encounters without permission. The whistleblower was an employee at a phone repair shop, who noticed the messages while fixing the singer’s phone. Several others were also part of the ring, including Choi Jong-hoon of F.T. Island. It crossed over with the even bigger Burning Sun scandal, but more on that later. In late 2019, Jung Joon-young received a prison sentence.
#5: AOA Allegations
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In 2020, former AOA member Mina publicly accused bandmate Jimin of mistreating her for years, saying the behavior led to her attempting to take her own life. Fans quickly jumped to Mina’s defense without questioning the serious allegation, combing over past AoA interviews for hints. Some were even harassing Jimin, leading her to announce her retirement from the industry. However, later leaked conversations between the pair seemed to complicate matters further, and there is still a lot that’s unknown about what exactly transpired. Now, Jimin is rejoining the industry and slowly attempting to repair her damaged reputation. The incident was clearly horrible for everyone involved.
#4: Park Bom’s Substance Use Scandal
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A 2014 report revealed that Park Bom had been under investigation in 2010 for smuggling amphetamines. She had reportedly obtained the pills in the United States to treat an attention deficit disorder, but their illegal status in South Korea created a lot of controversy. Her career was derailed for several years, as she was branded a user and faced the stigma surrounding treatment for mental health. Thankfully, Bom has since made a comeback with her 2019 hit solo single “Spring,” as well as by competing on “Queendom,” a reality competition series. Her 2022 Coachella reunion with the rest of 2NE1 went on to prove that she was the best all along.
#3: Dahee’s Blackmailing Scandal
Glam was one of the most promising girl groups of the early 2010s, but this scandal squandered their chances. In 2014, famous Korean actor Lee Byung-hun came forward with allegations that band member Dahee and a friend were blackmailing him for millions over a damaging video. Dahee was arrested and received a one year jail sentence, with Glam being forced to disband over the controversy and the former singer becoming a streamer after having served her time. Meanwhile, Byung-hun’s career reached new heights, as he continued to appear in American projects and even had a part in “Squid Game”. No matter how much time passes, Glam’s demise remains one of K-pop’s biggest examples of wasted potential.
#2: Seungri & the Burning Sun Scandal
The clean-cut youngest member of Big Bang, Seungri’s involvement in the Burning Sun scandal shook the Korean music industry to its core. The Burning Sun nightclub, where he served as creative director, became the center of a massive investigation involving gambling, drugs, and most notoriously, assault. The whole operation fell like a house of cards, forcing Seungri into retirement, with several other Korean celebrities also implicated. Shockingly, Seungri received a slap on the wrist for his crimes, with the court reducing his sentence of three years to a mere 18 months. People are still trying to wrap their heads around the scandal’s disturbing details and the shocking list of conspirators.
#1: Sulli’s Death
The most shocking K-pop scandal also happens to be the saddest. When f(x) member Sulli began dating Dynamic Duo’s Choiza, who was 14 years older than her, she faced online harassment. Some of her posts, which included feminist statements, further alienated her fans. The mistreatment and negative media attention was overwhelming. Sadly, Sulli took her own life in 2019 at the age of 25. f(x) bandmate Amber Liu paid her respects in a touching interview, sharing memories of the late singer’s resilient spirit. Alongside other losses like Shinee’s Jonghyun, Sulli’s death remains one of the most tragic stories in K-pop history. To this day, her legacy reminds us of the power that words can have.
