K-pop is facing a major upheaval in 2026. With members of the biggest groups leaving (or getting kicked out), many fans are shocked by the developments. On March 10, 2026, Heeseung announced his departure from ENHYPEN. Considering that the group is one of the most popular and bestselling in the industry, this was a shock to fans. However, this downfall has been in the works for a while. Find out whether recent events are bringing K-pop’s fall from grace out in the open.
Is K-pop Going Downhill In 2026, Or Is The Decline Now Visible?
As a whole, the K-pop industry thrives on parasocial relationships. The artists have to seem like friends, idols, and possible dates while remaining unattainable. K-pop groups must also have a close bond built over years of training. All of these requirements beg the question, what makes a perfect K-pop idol?
It is ridiculous to expect young singers not to date publicly or be best friends with their band members. However, these expectations are cultivated over the years. When they fall apart, one experiences a reality check. If members of a K-pop group are truly as close as they seem, how could one of them leave the group?
K-pop groups like ENHYPEN were always meant to be temporary. Created on idol survival programmes, short-term contracts define groups like ENHYPEN, Kep1er, or ZEROBASEONE. However, reality show fans saw these groups created from scratch during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Becoming an escape from existentialism, these survival groups offered company. Perhaps that’s why one feels the pain of members leaving so sharply.
Is This A Sign Of A Bigger Issue In K-pop?
But it’s not just reality show groups that are facing these issues. NewJeans started as a five-member group in 2022. If rumours are to be believed, they may end up with just three during their new comeback. Danielle faces a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Members were removed from other groups due to controversies as well.
Consider LE SSERAFIM or I-dle, for instance. Garam (ex-Le Sserafim) and Soojin (ex-Idle) were both embroiled in bullying scandals. Eventually, their agencies terminated their contracts and removed them from the K-pop groups. The truth of these allegations is irrelevant. Whether or not the idol actually abused their classmates, their careers suffered major setbacks.
Is this a sign of a major failure in the K-pop industry? Yes and no. It definitely shows that public figures must be careful with their activities even before becoming famous. Dropping a formerly hidden social media account isn’t nearly as toxic as bullying classmates as a child, but you get the point. However, like the music industry in general, Korean pop has its share of departing members and erupting controversies.
Iconic groups such as Super Junior or Girls’ Generation have a history of members leaving for various reasons. Recently, NCT has had members leaving for various reasons (false scandals to actual jail time). In that sense, the K-pop industry is hardly unique. One Direction’s Zayn Malik left before the group stopped producing music together. Even The Beatles eventually disbanded, although their music remains eternal.
What separates K-pop from the Western music industry is its focus on idol groups. For the number of new groups debuting each year, those that disband or change lineups make sense. Nonetheless, this is becoming a new and concerning practice among big companies.
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