When asked about co-ed groups, the first that comes to mind is likely KARD. While not as many as there should have been, many others have impacted the industry, like S#ARP and Triple H.
Another co-ed group impacted the industry for the wrong reasons and was surrounded by rumors about the members being involved with each other.
In 2010, Core Contents Media debuted a group called Coed School, comprising four female and six male members. The group was met with great demand, exceeding 40,000 albums sold for their debut mini.
Two of the group’s members, Sungmin and Taewoon, would later discuss their earlier days, saying that the group had a hard road due to their lacking “skill-wise.” Other negative influences on their popularity were rumors surrounding the groups, including that the members were dating each other behind the scenes.
In 2011, the group split into two subunits, 5Dolls and SPEED, and ultimately disbanded. However, more goes into how they earned the nickname “delinquent idols.”
5Dolls comprised Lee Soomi, Heo Chanmi, Ryu Hyoyoung, and Jin Hyewon, with added member Seo Eunkyo. Soomi later left the group, with it believed that Chanmi and Eunkyo bullied her into it, something that has been disputed over the years.
The group also underwent line-up changes, with Chanmi departing and members Nayeon, Cho Seunghee, and Oh Yeonkyung joining. After a name change to F-ve Dolls, the group would officially disband.
Soomi turned to acting and has appeared in many dramas, while Nayeon moved to the United States, recently appearing in the Disney+ dating show Pink Lie and modeling.
Chanmi continued on a long road to becoming a successful singer, debuting multiple times, and Ryu Hyoyoung is active as an actress. Hyoyoung is the sister of Ryu Hwayoung, a former member of T-ARA who said the group bullied her.
In 2017, it was revealed that Hyoyoung and Hwayoung were the bullies in the situation, and both were heavily criticized, leading to Hyoyoung using the name Jung Woo Yeon.
Cho Seunghee would go on to debut in DIA but left the group to pursue her acting career. Oh Yeonkyung debuted as a soloist and actress under the name Han Seo In and is active on YouTube, getting married in 2022.
Jin Hyewon, with added member Seo Eunkyo, also debuted as a soloist and actress, both in film and drama, and musical theater. Jin Hyewon is also active as an actress, most recently appearing in the film Shape Of Tulip.
On the side of the boy group SPEED, Kangho, Kwanghaeng, Jungwoo, Taewoon, Noori, and Sungmin debuted, though Kangho left in November 2011 to pursue an acting career. Shin Jongkook would replace the idol in the group.
After making their live performance debut, Sejun was added to the group in February 2012. Kwanghaeng and Noori left SPEED in October of that year and were replaced by Taeha and Yuhwan.
The group was active the longest with this line-up, seeing some popularity and releasing multiple albums. Following Taewoon’s departure in 2015, a new member named KI-O was added, though the group quietly disbanded only a few months later.
Some members, like Jungwoo (also known as Yoosung) and Yuhwan, have turned to acting, signing for different labels. Taeha went on to debut as a solo artist under the name IONE.
Others like Jongkook and Noori have stayed out of the spotlight, working behind the scenes on projects based on social media activity.
Taewoon focused on his solo career after, also working on producing other artists’ songs. Kwanghaeng later debuted in a band called Le Ciel, while Sungmin is active as an actor following his military service.
Though he was in the group for the shortest time, Kangho’s activities added the most to the delinquent image. He was accused of rape, and photos of him visiting an adult entertainment facility surfaced after his debut.
In 2016, he was caught smuggling drugs into Canada and tested positive for weed, ecstasy, and ketamine and spent a year and six months in jail.
Just days after, the idol was arrested on drug charges again and charged with hitting and injuring three pedestrians while drunk driving in 2016.
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While the group did have actual serious scandals, many did nothing to earn the nickname “delinquent idols.”