7 Male Idols Who Just Suddenly Disappeared From The Music Industry

Sometimes as a fan, we have the experience the heartbreak of losing a member of a group. But sometimes this heartbreak is made even worse when we no longer get to hear their voices because they decide to step away from the music industry for good. These male idols were all beloved by fans, but for one reason or another have bowed out of the music industry altogether.

1. Dongho (former U-KISS member)

When NH Media announced Dongho would be leaving U-KISS in 2013, fans may not have realized it also meant he would be leaving the music industry altogether. Instead of pursuing a different area of entertainment he decided to settle down and start a family.

2. Kibum (former Super Junior member)

Kibum was a beloved member of Super Junior who ended up leaving SM Entertainment and the group in 2015 to pursue his acting career. Kibum had already proven his acting chops and had even taken a leave in 2009 to pursue it. Since leaving, he’s starred in a number of dramas and films and has even strutted his stuff on the catwalk a couple of times!

3. Choi Sungmin (former SPEED member)

Sungmin used to be a member of Coed School and SPEED but in 2015 it was announced that the groups had officially disbanded. A year later, Sungmin signed a contract with Star Camp 202 to pursue his acting career and since then has been in a number of dramas including School 2017.

4. Moon Heejun (former H.O.T member)

After H.O.T disbanded in 2001, Heejun stayed with SM Entertainment and debuted as a solo artist. He put out 3 albums before leaving the company and starting his mandatory military duty. During this time he began to host the KFN Korean Army Broadcast music talk show. After releasing 2 more albums, Heejun took a break from music to focus on hosting. Although he did release a mini-album in 2013, Heejun works pretty much exclusively as a host now.

5. Alexander Lee (former U-KISS member)

Alexander left U-KISS in 2011 and then went on to do some solo activities. While he’s still technically a part of the music industry, the last time he was featured in a music video was in 2015 and instead he’s taken a more active role in acting and hosting.

6. L.Joe (former TEEN TOP member)

The former TEEN TOP member filed a lawsuit with TOP Media to terminate his contract in February 2017. Although the contract remained active until January 2018, L.Joe stopped all activities with the group and put his efforts into pursuing a career as an actor. In fact, L.Joe has started going by his real name Byung Hyun and has appeared in the drama Entertainer, Let’s Eat 3, as well as the plays The Summer, The Zoo and Yeodo.

7. Byungho (former 24K member)

In 2012, Byungho took a break from 24K due to chronic back pain but rumors soon began to circulate that he was secretly married and had a child. The rumors spread even more rapidly when the group’s agency admitted they couldn’t contact him and people saw photos of his family on SNS. Eventually, Byungho officially left the group and stated that he wanted to resume his personal life and spend time with his family. Since he left, Byungho has stayed out of the spotlight altogether.