K-pop boy bands refer to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

's all-male idol groups who account for a large portion of the

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...

industry. Korean boy bands have aided in the global spread and promotion of Korean culture through their demonstrated prominence and popularity. First generation boy bands from the late 90s and early 2000s such as H.O.T.,

Sechs Kies Sechs Kies (pronounced as ; ko, 젝스키스) is a first generation South Korean boy band. Making their debut on April 15, 1997, they are one of the first K-pop idol groups, credited with pioneering the idol scene and fandom culture. The grou ...

Shinhwa Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment ...

and

g.o.d Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d (), is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in t ...

. are cited as building these foundations as the first successful all-male groups in Korea and through their participation in the first Hallyu Wave. In 2007 and onward, second generation groups such as

Big Bang The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...

TVXQ TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of ...

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their prominent ...

, 2PM,

Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...

, Beast and

Infinite Infinite may refer to: Mathematics * Infinite set, a set that is not a finite set *Infinity, an abstract concept describing something without any limit Music *Infinite (group), a South Korean boy band *''Infinite'' (EP), debut EP of American m ...

continued to grow the popularity of boy bands domestically in Korea as well as globally through the second phase of Hallyu. The rise of groups such as

Exo Exo ( ko, 엑소; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean-Chinese boy band based in Seoul formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The group consists of nine members: Xiumin, Suho, Lay, Baekhyun, Chen, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai ...

and

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

in 2012 and 2013 launched the third generation of boy bands and launched K-pop to mass global appeal. BTS in particular has attained mainstream western appeal with number one hits on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

charts and multiple collaborations with global artists such as

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...

and Halsey. Other major boy bands to have debuted from 2012 onward include

Seventeen Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

, NCT,

Tomorrow X Together Tomorrow X Together (, ; Tomorrow by Together, stylized TOMORROW X TOGETHER), commonly known as TXT ( ), is a South Korean boy band formed by Big Hit Entertainment, now known as Big Hit Music. The group consists of five members: Yeonjun, Soobin ...

Stray Kids Stray Kids (; often abbreviated as SKZ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment through the 2017 reality show of the same name. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin ...

and

Enhypen Enhypen (; ja, エンハイプン; ''Enhaipun''; stylized as ENHYPEN) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab, a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, through the 2020 survival competition show '' I-Land''. The group is c ...

all who continue to garner widespread attention and build K-pop's global appeal.

Generation 1 (1996–2002)

Before the early 1990s, it was only solo artists doing

trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...

. Then in 1992, South Korean music started shifting to a more hip hop-influenced sound with the debut of

Seo Taiji and Boys () was a South Korean music group active from 1992 to 1996. The three members of the boy band, Seo Taiji, Yang Hyun-suk and Lee Juno, experimented with many different genres of popular Western music. Seo Taiji and Boys was highly successful ...

, who used English in their songs. It was not until

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

founder

Lee Soo-man Lee Soo-man (, born 18 June 1952) is a South Korean business executive and record producer who is best known for being the founder of SM Entertainment, a multinational South Korean entertainment company based in Seoul. He has also been referred ...

created several groups such as H.O.T. and

that the Hallyu Wave started. The first generation of K-pop began with the birth of the idol industry after the debut of H.O.T. in 1996 and follows the early years of K-pop and includes idol groups debuting from 1997 to 2002.

Other notable groups

1TYM 1TYM (Korean: 원타임, pronounced as "One Time") was a four-member South Korean group. They were Teddy Park (also known as Park Hong-jun), Oh Jinhwan, Song Baekyoung, and Danny Im (also known as Im Taebin). History In the late 1990s, YG CE ...

* 5tion * Black Beat *

Click-B Click-B (클릭비) is a South Korean boy group and band formed in August 1999 under DSP Media. Click-B started out as a band combining rock and dance beats in their music. They became a four member group in 2002, with several member changes ove ...

Deux Deux and D'eux means "of them" or "about them" while also being the number "two" in French. *2 (number), the natural number following 1 and preceding 3 **Two (disambiguation) *Folie à deux, a rare psychiatric syndrome Geography *Deux Montagnes ...

DJ DOC DJ D.O.C. is a South Korean hip-hop trio consisting of members Kim Chang-yeol, Lee Ha-neul and Jung Jae-yong. DJ D.O.C. stands for Dream Of Children. DJ DOC released their first album, ''Sorrow of Superman'', in 1994. During a time when Korean h ...

* Every Single Day *

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

* F-iV * Fly to the Sky *

Jinusean Jinusean (Hangul: 지누션; stylized as JINUSEAN) was a South Korean hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo (also known as Jinu) and Noh Seung-hwan (also known as Sean), debuted in 1997 and rose to fame ...

jtL JTL (제이티엘) were a South Korean dance music group, consisting of the former H.O.T. members who left SM Entertainment – Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn and Lee Jae-won. The group was named after the initials of the members' stage name. After ...

* K'Pop * Noel * NRG * Sweet Sorrow *

The Blue The Blue is a central market place in Bermondsey, southeast London. The market is open Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5pm and has about 10 stall holders, selling food and clothes. The area has been known locally as The Blue for more than two ...

U-BeS U-BeS (Hangul: 유비스, acronym for ''You will be with us'') was a South Korean boy band formed in 1997. The group consisted of four members: Jang Hogeun, Kim Mukyung, Lee Choongin, Kim Joonwoo. U-BeS is part of the first generation of modern ...

* UN *

Yurisangja Yurisangja is a South Korean male duo formed in 1997. They are best known for their pop-ballads. Name "Yurisangja" (유리상자) means "glass box." The reason they chose it was derived from their hope – the one of putting in it the most precio ...

Generation 2 (2003–2011)

As the popular first-generation idols disbanded during the early 2000s, ballads and R&B music became mainstream in the Korean music industry again. Since 2003, singers such as

SG Wannabe SG Wannabe () is a South Korean vocal group consisting of members Kim Yong-jun, Kim Jin-ho and Lee Seok-hoon. The group debuted in January 2004 with the single, "Timeless", from the album ''SG Wanna Be+'', and won Best New Artist at the Golden ...

Wheesung Choi Whee-sung (; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor. Career 1982: Early life and education Wheesung was born on ...

, and Buzz became very popular.

Other notable groups

* AA *

Apeace Apeace (in Japanese, エーピース; in Korean, 에이피스), formerly known as Double B 21 (더블비21) or Double B, was a South Korean boy band formed and under Golden Goose Entertainment. The group was the largest K-pop boy band, with 21 m ...

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

Boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female ...

DMTN DMTN (; an initialism for Desire.Motivation.Timing.Now), formerly Dalmatian (), was a South Korean boy band created and managed by MC Mong under Monkey Funch Entertainment. The original lineup consisted of Inati, Day Day, Donglim, Jeesu, Dari, ...

F.Cuz F.CUZ ( ko, 포커즈, "Focus"), is a South Korean boy band that used to be managed by Tunes-Will Entertainment, and is now promoting as an independent group (before 2014 by CAN Entertainment). The group made their debut on January 8, 2010 with ...

J-Walk J-Walk (Hangul: 제이워크) is a South Korean musical duo formed by two Sechs Kies members. As of 2016, they are under YG Entertainment after reunited with their group Sechs Kies in the label. Members * Jang Suwon (장수원) - vocals * Ki ...

* LC9 * Led Apple *

Monday Kiz Monday Kiz (Korean language, Korean: 먼데이 키즈) was a South Korean boy band formed in 2005. The group originally consisted of two members: Lee Jin-sung and Kim Min-soo, but after the death of Min-soo in 2008 the group reformed with two ...

Myname Myname ( ko, 마이네임; stylized as MYNAME) is a South Korean boy group created by Fly to the Sky's Hwanhee under H2 Media. The group is composed of five members: Gunwoo, Insoo, Seyong, Jun.Q, and Chaejin. The group debuted on October 27, ...

* N-Sonic * N-Train *

One Way One-way or one way may refer to: * One-way traffic, a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction *One-way travel, a trip that does not return to its origin Music *One Way (American ba ...

Paran Paran (also Pharan or Faran) may refer to: Places * Paran, Egypt, an ancient site at the oasis of the Sinai's Wadi Feiran *Desert of Paran, a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible *Paran, East Azerbaijan, a village in Iran *Paran, Isfahan, a city ...

* S *

Shu-I Super Tribe (So Hot Union of Idols) was a South Korean five member boy band. They debuted on September 11, 2009, with their digital single “Bomb Bomb Bomb”. Before that they had been training for two years together. Their name SHU-I can transla ...

Supernova A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when ...

T-max T-Max (), stylized T-MAX or T.max, was a South Korean pop music group formed in 2007 under the label 2Step Entertainment (later Planet 905). The group began as a trio, where the "T" in its name was derived from the words "triple" and "trinity". ...

Touch In physiology, the somatosensory system is the network of neural structures in the brain and body that produce the perception of touch (haptic perception), as well as temperature (thermoception), body position (proprioception), and pain. It is ...

* Tritops *

U-KISS U-KISS ( ko, 유키스; ja, ユーキス) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2008. Their name is an acronym, standing for Ubiquitous Korean International Idol Super Star. The group's current lineup is composed of Soohyun, Hoon, Kiseop and ...

Ulala Session Ulala Session ( ko, 울랄라 세션) is a South Korean boy band that rose to fame after winning the 2011 television talent show ''Superstar K 3''. The group currently consists of members Kim Myung-hoon, Park Seung-il, Choe Do-wo. The group orig ...

* V.O.S *

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

* Wanted * ZE:A

Generation 3 (2012–2017)

K-pop saw a revival with the third generation that grew in the digital age with the influence of social media and resulted in the

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

of the genre. This era also saw a growth in

survival programs The Free Breakfast for School Children Program, or the People’s Free Food Program, was a community service program run by the Black Panther Party that focused on providing free breakfast for children before school. The program began in January ...

that pushed for more competition, and includes idol groups that primarily debuted in 2012 to the end of 2019.

Other notable groups

* 14U * 100% * 2000 Won * 24K * 5urprise * A.C.E * A.cian * A-Jax * A-Prince * AlphaBat * B.I.G. * Beatwin *

Big Brain Big Brain () is a South-Korean R&B ballad group that consist of four-members under the label World Show Market. They have been active since 2010 and officially debuted on October 22, 2015, with the album ''Billionaire Sound'' and their breakthro ...

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a ne ...

* Bigflo * Boys24 * Boys Republic *

C-Clown C-Clown ( ko, 씨클라운; short for Crown Clown) was a South Korean boy band under Yedang Entertainment. It had six members: Rome, Siwoo, Ray, Kang Jun, T.K, and Maru. They disbanded on October 5, 2015 after being together for three years. Hi ...

* CIX *

Cross Gene Cross Gene ( Korean: 크로스진; stylized as CROSS GENE) is a 6 member boy band based in South Korea which debuted on June 11, 2012. Signed under Amuse Korea, the group consists of South Korean member: Shin is the only member still under thei ...

D-Crunch D-Crunch () was a South Korean idol group formed by All-S Company in Seoul. They debuted as a nine-member group with rappers Hyunho, O.V, Minhyuk, Chanyoung, Jungseung, and Dylan, and vocalists Hyunwook, Hyunoh, and Hyunwoo. The nonet released ...

D1ce D1ce (, stylized in all caps; pronounced as "The Once") was a South Korean boy band formed by D1ce Entertainment. The group consisted of five members: Jo Yong-geun, Kim Hyun-soo, Jung Yoo-jun, Park Woo-dam and Woo Jin-young. They debuted on Augu ...

Day6 Day6 (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean pop rock band under the label JYP Entertainment. The group debuted on September 7, 2015, with the EP ''The Day,'' which peaked at No.2 on ''Billboard''s World Album Chart a week following its r ...

* DKZ *

ENOi ENOi () was a seven member South Korean boy band formed by KiTheWhale in 2019. The group debuted on April 19, 2019, with "Bloom". They disbanded on January 22, 2021. Former members *Laon (라온) - leader, vocalist *Dojin (도진) - rapper *Ha ...

* Golden Child *

GreatGuys GreatGuys () is a South Korean boy band signed to DNA Entertainment. The group consists of nine members: Jaei, Uiyeon, Horyeong, Daun, Baekgyeol, Donghwi, Hwalchan, Haneul, and Dongin. The nonet debuted on August 25, 2017, with the single "Last ...

HALO Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

* HeartB *

High4 High4 (hangul: 하이포; stylized as HIGH4) was a South Korean boy band under the management of List of LOEN Entertainment labels#Independent labels distributed by LOEN Entertainment, N.A.P Entertainment. The group consisted of members Alex, Myu ...

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

* HNB * Honey G *

Honeyst Honeyst () was a South Korean pop rock band formed by FNC Entertainment in 2017. The band consists of Oh Seung-seok (drummer), Kim Chul-min (main vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist), Seo Dong-sung (leader, vocalist, bassist), and Kim Hwan (guitarist ...

* Hooni Yongi * Hotshot * Hyeongseop X Euiwoong *

Imfact Imfact (, a mixture of I'm Fact and Impact) is a South Korean boy band formed by Star Empire Entertainment in 2016. The group debuted on January 27, 2016, with their single album ''Lollipop''. The group departed from Star Empire Entertainment ...

In2It In2It (; stylized as IN2IT, pronounced as "In to It") is a South Korean boy band consisting of six members, Yoo Ji-ahn, Jung Yeon-tae, Hwang In-ho, Han Hyun-uk, Lee In-pyo, and Isaac Voo, who previously participated in Mnet's 2016 survival show ...

* IZ * JBJ *

JJCC JJCC (pronounced J-J-C-C; Hangul: 제이제이씨씨) is a five-member South Korean hip hop boy band formed under the management of Jackie Chan Group Korea.

K-Much Be.A (Hangul: 비에이, shortened from Be. A or Be an A; formerly known as K-Much) was a South Korean boy band formed under Chrome Entertainment in 2014. They debuted on 7 January 2014 as K-Much with the release of their first mini album ''Be ...

* KNK *

Longguo & Shihyun Longguo & Shihyun (Hangul: 용국 & 시현) is a South Korean duo formed by Choon Entertainment in Seoul, South Korea. The duo previously participated in ''Produce 101 Season 2''. They debuted on July 31, 2017, with the single "the.the.the". Long ...

Lunafly Lunafly (Hangul: 루나플라이; sometimes stylized as LUNAFLY) is a South Korean 2-member group under Nega Network. The members are Yun and Sam. Their fans are called Lukies. They officially debuted on 27 September 2012 with their self-composed ...

* M.Pire * M4M * Masc * Map6 *

M.O.N.T M.O.N.T () is a South Korean boy band signed to FM Entertainment. They originally debuted as a trio with leader Narachan, rapper Roda, and main vocalist Bitsaeon. In 2017, M.O.N.T released the digital single "Sorry" and were contestants on JTBC ...

* Mr.Mr *

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

* MXM *

Myteen MYTEEN (; short for Make Your Teenager) was a South Korean boy band formed by The Music Works in 2016 and debuted in 2017 with the release of their first extended play titled ''MYTEEN GO!''. At the time of their disbandment, the group consisted ...

* N.Flying *

Newkidd Newkidd (), also stylized as NewKidd, is a South Korean boy band formed by J-Flo Entertainment. The group is composed of seven members: Jinkwon, Ji Han-sol, Choi Ji-ann, Yunmin, Hwi, Woochul, and Kang Seung-chan. The group officially debuted on ...

* ONF *

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simpl ...

* Rainz *

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

* Seven O'Clock *

SF9 SF9 ( ko, 에스에프나인 ; shortened from Sensational Feeling 9) is a South Korean boy band formed by FNC Entertainment and the company's first dance boy group. Consisting of nine members, the group debuted on October 5, 2016 with the relea ...

Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

* Tasty * The Legend * The Rose * Toheart *

Topp Dogg Xeno-T () is a South Korean boy band formerly known as Topp Dogg (). The group consists of five members: Hojoon, Sangdo, B-Joo, Xero and Sangwon. Originally a thirteen-member group created by Cho PD in 2013 under Stardom Entertainment, the gro ...

TRCNG TRCNG (Hangul: 티알씨엔지; an acronym for Teen Rising Champion in a New Generation) was a South Korean boy band formed by TS Entertainment in 2017. They debuted with the EP ''New Generation'' on October 10, 2017. Originally a ten-piece gr ...

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

* TST * UP10TION *

Uniq uniq is a utility command (computing), command on Unix, Plan 9 from Bell Labs, Plan 9, Inferno (operating system), Inferno, and Unix-like operating systems which, when fed a text file or Standard streams#Standard input (stdin), standard input, o ...

UNVS UNVS (; zh, c=UNIVERSE 世界少年) is an boy band based in South Korea. Originally consisting of Sihoon, IL, Changgong, Yongyong, and Minho, the quintet debuted in Taiwan, where they released the digital singles "Uni-verse" and "Hacker" in 2 ...

* Varsity * VAV *

Victon Victon ( ko, 빅톤; stylized as VICTON, an acronym for Voice to New World) is a South Korean boy group formed in 2016 by IST Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Han Seung-woo, Kang Seung-sik, Lim Se-jun, Do Han-se, Choi Byung- ...

Voisper Voisper (; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean vocal group formed in Incheon. It consisted of vocalists Daegwang, Kwangho, Kangsan, and Choonggi, all of whom became friends in high school. After auditioning on ''Superstar K6'' in 2014 as Nor ...

Vromance Vromance (), stylized as VROMANCE, is a South Korean vocal group formed by RBW in 2016. The group debuted in July 2016 with their extended play ''The Action''. Career Pre-debut Prior to their debut, the four members worked as vocal trainers for ...

* Wonder Boyz *

Xeno-T Xeno-T () is a South Korean boy band formerly known as Topp Dogg (). The group consists of five members: Hojoon, Sangdo, B-Joo, Xero and Sangwon. Originally a thirteen-member group created by Cho PD in 2013 under Stardom Entertainment, the gro ...

Generation 4 (2018–present)

This generation has had to overcome problems such as the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the resulting economic disruption, and the transition to virtual concerts. These groups are in a situation that needs them to pioneer a wider variety of publicity methods, including the recently active online performance.

Other notable groups

* 1Team *

1the9 1the9 (Hangul: 원더나인, stylized as 1THE9, pronounced as Wonder Nine) was a South Korean boy band formed through the 2018 survival competition ''Under Nineteen''. The group was composed of 9 members: Yoo Yong-ha, Kim Tae-woo, Lee Seung-hwan ...

* AB6IX *

Argon Argon is a chemical element with the symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third-most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice as abu ...

ATBO ATBO ( ko, 에이티비오; an acronym for At The Beginning of Originality) is a South Korean boy group formed in 2022 through IST Entertainment's survival competition '' The Origin – A, B, Or What?''. The group is composed of seven members: Oh ...

BAE173 BAE173 () is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by PocketDol Studio. The group debuted on November 19, 2020, with their first EP ''Intersection: Spark''. Name The name BAE173 comes from "Before Anyone Else" and the numbers 173 repres ...

* BDC *

Blank2y Blank2y (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by Keystone Entertainment. The group currently consists of nine members: DK, Louis, Donghyuk, Siwoo, Mikey, U, Youngbin, Sungjun, and Sodam. The group made their official debut o ...

Blitzers Blitzers (, stylized as BLITZERS) is a South Korean boy band formed by Wuzo Entertainment in 2021. The group consists of seven members: Jinhwa, Go_U, Juhan, Sya, Chris, Lutan and Wooju. The group debuted on May 12, 2021, with the EP, ''Check-In'' ...

Ciipher Ciipher ( ko, 싸이퍼) is a South Korean boy band created by South Korean singer Rain under R.A.I.N. Company. The group consists of Tan, Hwi, Hyunbin, Keita, Tag, Dohwan and Won. The group debuted on March 15, 2021, with the extended play (EP) ...

Cravity Cravity () is a South Korean boy band formed by Starship Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Serim, Allen, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin, Minhee, Hyeongjun, Taeyoung, and Seongmin. They debuted on April 14, 2020, with their extended p ...

* DKB *

Drippin Drippin (, stylized as DRIPPIN) is a South Korean boy band formed by Woollim Entertainment in 2020. The group made their debut on October 28, 2020, with the EP ''Boyager''. Career Pre-debut Prior to debut, all of the members except for Alex c ...

E'Last E'Last (Korean: 엘라스트, pronounced "El-Last" and commonly stylized as E'LAST), previously known as EBoyz (이보이즈), is a South Korean boy band formed by E Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Rano, Choi In, Seungyeop ...

Epex Epex ( ko, 이펙스, Ipekseu, stylized as EPEX, short for Eight Apex) is an eight-member South Korean boy band formed by C9 Entertainment in 2021, consisting of Wish, Keum, Mu, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang and Jeff. The group debuted on Jun ...

Ghost9 Ghost9 (고스트나인) is a South Korean boy band formed by Maroo Entertainment in 2020. They made their debut on September 23, 2020, with their debut EP ''Pre Episode 1: Door''. History Pre-debut Before debut, Choi Jun-seong, Lee Tae-seun ...

* H&D *

Just B Just B () is a South Korean boy band formed by Bluedot Entertainment. The group consists of six members: Geonu, Bain, Lim Ji-min, JM, DY, and Sangwoo. History Pre-debut DY and Bain were former contestants on MBC's survival show ''Under Ninete ...

Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

* Luminous *

MCND MCND ( ko, 엠씨엔디; acronym for "Music Creates New Dream") is a five-member South Korean boy band formed by the company TOP Media in 2020. The group debuted on February 27, 2020, with the song "Ice Age". The group is composed of members Ca ...

* Mirae * Noir * NTB * NTX *

Omega X Omega X () is a South Korean boy band formed in 2021. The group consists of 11 members: Jaehan, Hwichan, Sebin, Hangyeom, Taedong, Xen, Jehyun, Kevin, Junghoon, Hyuk and Yechan. History Pre-debut All of Omega X's members had appeared in surviv ...

Oneus Oneus ( Korean: 원어스, pronounced as "One Us") is a South Korean boy band formed by RBW. The group consists of five members: Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwanwoong and Xion. Originally a six member group, Ravn left the group on October 27, 2022. ...

Onewe Onewe (, stylized in all caps, ) is a South Korean alternative rock band composed of five members: Yonghoon, Harin, Kanghyun, Dongmyeong and CyA. The members originally formed under the name M.A.S 0094 (Make a Sound 0094). They released their f ...

OnlyOneOf OnlyOneOf (온리원오브) is a South Korean boy band formed by 8D Entertainment in 2019. The group debuted on May 28, 2019, with ''Dot Point Jump''. History 2019: Debut with ''Dot Point Jump'' and first comeback ''Line Sun Goodness'' On May ...

P1Harmony P1Harmony (; Acronym: P1H) is a South Korean boy band formed and managed by FNC Entertainment. The group consists of six members: Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. They debuted on October 28, 2020, with the extended play (EP) ''Dis ...

* SuperM *

TAN Tan or TAN may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

* TFN *

TNX is a Japanese holding company for various entertainment companies. Its subsidiaries include the talent agency Up-Front Promotion and Up-Front Works, a music production and sales company that manages such record labels as Zetima, Piccolo Town, ...

TO1 TO1 (; formerly known as TOO) (stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by Mnet's 2019 reality show ''To Be World Klass''. The group debuted on April 1, 2020, with their first mini album ''Reason For Being: Benevolence'' with "Ma ...

* Trendz * Vanner *

Verivery Verivery (; stylized as VERIVERY and also abbreviated VRVR) is a South Korean boy band formed by Jellyfish Entertainment in 2018. They debuted on January 9, 2019 with ''Veri-Us''. They self-produced their DIY Albums and have created several DIY ...

* W24 * We in the Zone * WEi * X1 *

Younite Younite () is a South Korean boy band formed by Brand New Music. The group currently consists of nine members: Eunho, Steve, Hyunseung, Eunsang, Hyungseok, Woono, Dey, Kyungmun, and Sion. The group made their official debut on April 20, 2022, wi ...

Late generations

Some forums and news cited some groups as "late generation groups". The terms do not have exact time when they started, but the end period is always the first year of the new generation. Some groups, like SHINee and Infinite were cited as "2.5 generation groups", while groups like Seventeen and Monsta X are cited as "3.5 generation groups".

Notes

References

{{K-pop

Generation 1 (1996–2002)

Other notable groups

Generation 2 (2003–2011)

Other notable groups

Generation 3 (2012–2017)

Other notable groups

Generation 4 (2018–present)

Other notable groups

Late generations

See also

Notes

References