The year SHINee almost announced their disbandment

One of the oldest k-pop groups still active, SHINee, debuted in 2008 through the agency SM Entertainment with the release of the first EP in the formation’s discography, which was promoted through the hit “Replay”, the track that also gives the album its title.

With this achievement, the formation gained immense popularity, granting the Onew, Key, Minho, Jonghyun and Taemin the title of “Princes of K-pop” in South Korea, celebrated 16 years of career in May this year. However, what some may not imagine is that instead of almost two decades in the music industry, SHINee could have come to an end at the 10-year mark, as revealed by Taemin in the latest “D Edition” of ELLE Korea magazine (via Koreaboo).

The year SHINee almost announced their disbandment

The revelation came when Taemin was asked which of the feats he achieved in his career as an idol makes him most proud, a question to which he answered:

The path I’ve walked with the members. Every step of it. If you told me to go back in time and do it all over again, I don’t think I could do it. That’s what we’ve been through as a group. In 2018, when we were actively discussing disbanding, we chose not to give up. And it’s such a good thing that we kept going. I’m so grateful that so many people love and support us, relate to us, and care for us. Being able to live life this way is such a blessing,” Taemin explained.

At the time, the voice of “MOVE” did not say what were the reasons why the group had considered ending their career, but it is known that the previous year was difficult for the members, since in August 2017, Onew was investigated by the police following an accusation of harassment. At the time, SM Entertainment issued the following statement:

We would like to express our position on the incident that the media has been reporting about Onew. Onew is a public figure, and things about him are not being reported well. We are reflecting deeply on what has been a cause of concern for many people.

On the morning of August 12, Onew went to a nightclub with his friends to celebrate his debut as a DJ. While drunk and dancing, he inadvertently made contact with the people around him, causing a misunderstanding, and was then investigated by the police.

However, the other party also acknowledged that this situation could arise due to drunkenness, so they said that it was all a misunderstanding, stated that they did not wish for any punishment, and filed a request to drop all charges.

Onew will sincerely participate in the remaining investigations. Please refrain from reporting any further speculation. We apologize for any inconvenience.

At the end of the same year, they had to say goodbye toJonghyunwho mobilized the entire K-pop industry when he passed away at the age of 27 on December 18. The idol was found unconscious in his home and died after suffering a cardiac arrest in the hospital.

One day after her death, the singer Jang Hee-yeonfrom the group Dear Cloud, and a close friend of Jonghyunpublished a farewell letter from the idol, which is unknown when it was written and sent to her, but reveals that the eternal SHINee member lived in depression.

I am broken inside. The depression that has slowly been destroying me has already devoured me, and I have not been able to overcome it. It is incredible how much it hurts. No one is more tormented or weakened than I am”, says an excerpt from the text written by Jonghyun.

After overcoming the difficult phase, SHINee released two rappackage albums, “SHINee The Best From Now On” (2018) and “Atlantis” (2021), two full-albums, “The Story of Light Epilogue” (2018) and Don’t Call Me (2021), as well as some mini albums, the most recent of which, “HARD”, was released on June 26, 2023, accompanied by a music video for the title track of the same name. Relive the clip!