You would be surprised to know about the many 2nd Generation K-pop Groups that have not yet disbanded and are active! 2nd Generation of K-pop was the had helped with the start of the Korean wave. This era of K-pop started around the year 2005 and continued till the year 2012. Between these years, many legendary K-pop groups and soloists like BoA, Bigbang, Miss A, 2NE1, and more debuted. At that time, only the stage presence, performance, fashion, and the concept of the group mattered. You would not be able to stan a group if you looked at the lyrics. Although the lyrics did not make much sense, they make up for it by being very addictive and catchy!
Not to forget how freely idols interacted without worrying about dating rumors makes us miss this era. Even though many of our favorite 2nd Generation K-pop Groups have disbanded, for example, 2NE1, Wonder Girls, and many more, there are still many groups that have been still going on strong. Sadly, not many are girl groups. Most of them could not go through the seven years curse. In this article, we will be listing down the longest-running 2nd Gen K-pop Groups ever! All of them have continued for more than twelve years!
1. TVXQ
TVXQ debuted on December 26 in the year 2003, with their debut single Hug! It has been nineteen years since they debuted, and the group has still not disbanded, which is quite an achievement. Not to forget, TVXQ has gone through a big lineup change since its debut. TVXQ had first consisted of five members, out of which three, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, left the group. These three sued SM Entertainment for mistreating them, and they continued as JYJ. While the group consisting of Yunho and Changmin did not have any activities after 2020, they did make a comeback in 2022, with the Japanese Extended Play named Epitaph.
2. Super Junior
Super Junior or Suju debuted back on November 6, 2005, with the single Twins (Knock Out) with thirteen members. The group was initially criticized for having a lot of members, but the amount of success they achieved was a straight clap back at haters. Partly due to them, groups with a lot of members are popular too, for example, LOONA, Treasure, and Seventeen.
Did you know that Super Junior had been the best-selling K-pop artist for four consecutive weeks? The members are not called the Hallyu Kings for no reason are they. Their hit single Sorry, Sorry is one of the songs that brought international fame to the K-pop industry. Over the years, the members of Super Junior have been divided into sub-groups and soloists too to attract more fans. They have even branched out to the acting, entertaining, and hosting areas. The members Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun. are still going strong! On February 28, 2022, the group released the single album The Road: Winter For Spring and announced that they would be going on a world tour in July! You would not believe that seventeen years have passed!
3. Bigbang
Bigbang is not only one of the greatest 2nd Generation K-pop Groups but is also one of the most phenomenal ones! From spreading the K-wave to being one of the most influential K-pop artists, the members of Bigbang are not called the King of K-pop for nothing. Many of our favorite artists, such as BTS and Blackpink, became idols because of Bigbang. Bigbang debuted on August 19, 2006, with Bigbang Vol.1 but did not shoot to fame until a few years. They started to get a lot of popularity ever since the leader G-dragon decided to take over the writing and composing process of the group’s songs.
As they have sold over 150 million digital and physical records globally, Bigbang might also be one of the best-selling boy bands in the world! Bigbang was the first artist in many things, such as the first Korean artist to be mentioned in the Fobes Celebrity 100. But did you know they were also the first artists to have a lightstick of their own! Just when fans thought that Bigband might be disbanding due to its long absence, the group made a comeback with a single on April 5 in 2022. As the group has been running for almost fifteen years, it effortlessly became one of the longest-running Kpop groups ever!
4. F.T.Island
F.T.Island, aka Five Treasure Island, had made its debut on June 7, in the year 2007, as five members. They are the longest existed K-pop boy band ever! The group currently consists of the main vocalist Lee Hong Gi, bassist Lee Jaejin, and drummer Choi Minhwan. You could say that the group paved the way for more bands coming in the future, such as N.Flying and CNBLUE. The group was the first foreign male band and the first band in 42 years to top the Oricon Daily Charts. Time flies by very quickly; who knew that fifteen years had passed!
5. Girls’ Generation
Girls’ Generation made its iconic debut with Into The New World on August 5, 2007, with nine members (Jessica left the group in 2014). It is not every day that a group is named the Nation’s Girl Group for no reason! The group had given us many bops such as Gee, Holiday Night, and Lion Heart throughout their years together! We still cannot forget the style switches that the girls had for every comeback. The girls were also praised for being one of the only popular girl groups back then.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Girls’ Generation is a part of the reason why girl groups are getting so popular these days. They were the first girl group to do many things, such as winning an Album of The Year. In 2017, members Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun left the company to focus more on their solo careers. As the members ventured more into their solo careers, fans became worrisome that the group might disband. Yet as the group’s 15th anniversary is coming soon, SM Entertainment confirmed that the girls would be returning with a full album in August!
6. 2PM
2PM debuted as a six-membered group with the single album Hottest Time Of Day on September 4, 2008. The members were divided through the survival show Hot Blood Men, through which the final eleven contestants were divided into the 2PM Members and 2AM Members. The boy group 2PM was known for its dancing skills. More or so that fans jokingly say that they are the ones who invented dancing!
Over the years, the members have been gaining popularity individually too. Some for their acting careers and some for their own solo singing careers. The group had been gone for a five-year hiatus as the members were enlisting in the military. In 2020, when most of the group had enlisted in the military, the music video of 2PM’s My House suddenly started to gain popularity. There was a boom in its view count and the comment on the music video. After all the members returned from the military, they finally had a full-group comeback with their album Must, and a surge in the group’s popularity was also seen. We can expect their comeback to be as spectacular as the last one. Finger-crossed to get a 2PM Comeback news soon!
7. Davichi
Davichi is a South Korean pop duo that has been reigning over the K-pop industry for years! Consisting of Lee Haeri and Kang Minkyung, Davichi debuted on February 4, 2008, with Amarnath. Many K-drama lovers might recognize these two as the owners of many of their favorite K-drama OSTs. They have sung OSTs for K-dramas like Descendants of The Sun, Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and It’s Okay, That’s Love. Unlike other K-pop groups, their music is not pop-heavy based but contains more soulful ballads. The members even get commercial success with each comeback. Cheers to fourteen years with Davichi!
8. Shinee
Shinee, aka the Princes of K-pop, debuted on May 28, 2008, with their debut EP Replay. Not only did the Shinee members trend for their spectacular and heavenly vocals, but they also went viral for their impeccable fashion sense too. Back then, students took up their way of styling and called it the Shinee Trend. As already mentioned, Shinee knows what vocals are. So they easily become one of the best groups while performing live. How can they be so stable! The boy group is also known for its highly synchronized and complex dance moves.
This is not all about Shinee. Shinee knows went to experiment a little, and when they do, it usually turns out to be a bop! Shinee would always keep you on your toes, you might never know what they will be preparing for their next comeback. The current members Onew, Minho, Key, and Taemin still, remain one of the key aspects of K-pop after about fourteen years! After the three eldest members were discharged from the military, the group had a comeback. However, they will be on a hiatus until the maknae Taemin returns from the military.
9. T-Ara
T-ara is one of the longest-running as well as one of the most phenomenal 2nd Generation K-pop Girl Groups. Consisting of four members, Qri, Hyomin, Jiyeong, and Eunjun, the girl group debuted in April 2009. After two reunions, T-ara returned on November 15, 2021, with the single album Re: Tiara. Let us hope they are making another comeback soon!
10. Highlight/Beast
Highlight debuted on October 16, 2009, with their mini-album BEAST Is The B2ST. The group was formerly known as BEAST. In the past, they were called a recycled group because of the lack of attention they received from the industry. However, the group has proved its worth countless times. They might even be one of the groups that have won the largest amount of awards from the Golden disc Awards, the Seoul Music Awards, and The Melon Music Awards. In 2022, Highlight released its first studio album named Daydream on March 21.
11. CNBLUE
CNBLUE debuted in 2009 in Japan and in Korea in 2010. The boy band consists of Jung Yonghwa (leader, guitarist, main vocalists, keyboard player, and rapper), Kang Minhyun (drummer), and Lee Jung Shin (bassist). CNBLUE’s last group activity goes back to the October of 2021, when they released their ninth mini-album, Wanted, with Love Cut, as the lead single. The members even have successful solo acting careers. The members even set a good example of helping the needy with their regular donations. A part of their salary goes into making schools and other generous acts.
12. Girl’s Day
Girl’s Day is one of the longest-running 2nd Generation girl groups to date. Girl’s Day debuted on July 7 in the year 2010, and has gone through lineup changes like most of the groups in this article. Girl’s Day easily became one of the most commercially successful groups of the era. In 2019 all the members of Girl’s Day decided that they would not be renewing their contract with Dream T Entertainment but said that the group had not disbanded. The group has been on a hiatus for six years by now, so fans have braced themselves for the worst.
13. Teen Top
Teen Top debuted as a six-membered boy group in the July of 2010 with the single album Come Into The World. Many of Teen Top’s old songs, such as No More Perfume On You and Crazy, went viral for their catchy lyrics and addictive beat back in 2020. However, Niel and Chanjo decided not to renew their contracts with TOP Media but will still be a part of the group. While the members are in the military, fans are patiently waiting for them to return and finally get an OT5 comeback!
14. Infinite
Infinite consists of six members, Sungkyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Sungyeol, L, and Sungjong, who debuted in the June of 2010 with the extended play First Invasion. The 2nd Generation boy group went viral for the ‘scorpion dance’ in BTD’s choreography. And in 2014, it became the first Korean act to top Billboards’ Emerging Artists Chart. At the moment, many members have been enlisted in the military.
15. Block B
Block B consists of seven members Taeil, B-bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Initially, being a Stardom Entertainment group, the members filed a lawsuit against the company for not paying them for a whole year, that is how they moved to KQ Entertainment. In 2018, the group members started enlisting in the military, which led them to go on an indefinite hiatus. Furthermore, the members who are not enlisted in the military are currently pursuing their solo careers.
Also Read: Best 2nd-Gen Leaders of K-pop That Stand Out To the Fans
