1st Generation K-pop Boy Bands Make Return

By Park Jin-hai

Long before BTS's spectacular triumph in the global music scene, there were K-pop idols who paved the way for the rise of K-pop today.

A number of so-called first generation K-pop idols including HOT, Shinhwa and god will make comebacks in the latter half of the year These groups were most active from the late 1990s to early 2000s and ushered in the active fandom culture with large fan clubs mobilized to support their artists.

The most notable among them would be HOT, a now-disbanded five-member boy group, consisting of Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony An, Kangta and Lee Jae-won. The band, which debuted in 1996 and has had many hit songs such as 'Candy,' 'Happiness' and 'We Are The Future' under its belt, will make a return to the music stage in mid-October for its first concert after the 2001 disbandment.

Although the band officially broke up ages ago, fans' wishes to see the popular band have continuously fed rumors that a reunion was imminent.

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OT had a temporary reunion earlier this year in February during a special segment of the variety show 'Infinite Challenge' and held a concert. At the time, over 170,000 fans applied to participate in the TV show as audience members and the band's old hit songs reentered the local music charts after all those years.

Their comeback concert in October will take place at the Seoul Olympic Stadium, where they held their last concert in 2001.

Sechs Kies / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

Sechs Kies, six-member boy band that rivaled HOT in the late '90s, will hold a concert marking their 21st anniversary as well.

The band members reunited through the variety show 'Infinite Challenge' in 2016, over a decade after its 2000 disbandment. After their concert during the TV show, the group's five active members _ Eun Ji-won, Lee Jai-jin, Kim Jae-duck, Kang Sung-hoon and Jang Su-won _ joined YG Entertainment and released a remake album Last year, marking its 20th anniversary, the band released their long-awaited fifth album 'Another Light,' which entered the Billboard World Albums...