There are many issues and riddles in the South Korean entertainment industry that we may never fully understand. Let’s look at some of the K-pop bands engulfed in controversy, from the breakup of B.A.P., the boy band that defeated BTS at the MTV EMAs, to the girl band f(x), which hasn’t played in years:
B.A.P
In 2012, TS Entertainment unveiled the six-member group made up of Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, and Zelo. Despite their rising popularity on par with some of the biggest K-pop groups like BTS and EXO, the boy group B.A.P (Best. Absolute. Perfect) were not receiving respectable salaries, so in 2014 the group filed to nullify their contracts claiming severe underpayment and harsh working conditions. TS Entertainment had mistreated their top artist.
Miss A
The Miss A female group from JYP Entertainment, which consisted of Fei, Jia, Min, and Suzy, was another K-pop band that was in the spotlight for scandal. Despite the band’s popularity since its debut in 2010, the company’s financial difficulties only allowed for Bae Suzy to receive significant promotion.
CLC
CLC and Cube Entertainment are two further examples of agencies failing to care for their artists. Seunghee, Yujin, Seungyeon, Yeeun, and Eunbin made up the group, which was founded in 2015. 2017 saw a surge in CLC’s global recognition thanks to the song Hobgoblin. But because their agency didn’t help the musicians produce more of these hits, the length of the group’s comebacks extended with time. In 2020, CLC made their final reappearance.
F(X)
Victoria, Amber, Krystal, Sulli, and Luna made up the first lineup of the girl group, which was created by SM Entertainment in 2009. Even though the group is still active, its latest release was in 2015, and it hasn’t produced anything since 2016. It should be emphasized that Amber was the band’s tomboy, and she frequently came under fire for questioning gender expectations.
