Many people might be confused about what is hiatus in Kpop. But do not worry as we are here to clear all your doubts and questions. If we go to the literal meaning of a hiatus, it means a pause or break in an activity. This pretty much explains what hiatus is in Kpop as well. When a Kpop group or members go on a hiatus it basically means that they are taking a break from their group activities. It may be for several reasons and it is totally acceptable for them to go on hiatus.
The Kpop world is filled with never-ending hectic schedules. These may include going on TV shows, reality shows, doing an uncountable number of performances without a break, recording, and vocal and dance training, along with this they have to continuously keep up with the negative comments, false allegations, and much more, and then they keep on continuing the cycle. Along with this, they do not even get time for proper rest.
Most of the Kpop idols have a poor sleeping schedule and do not get an adequate amount of sleep. This all happens because of their strict schedule for which sometimes they have no option but to compromise their health. So to answer your question about what is hiatus in Kpop, here is the article where we tell various situations where Kpop groups or idols take hiatus with some examples.
What is hiatus in Kpop? Is It A Bad Thing?
If a Kpop or an idol goes on a hiatus, it is not necessarily a bad thing. Although many times we have heard idols going on hiatus because of sandals or false allegations which were put on them, this is not the whole thing. Many idols may go on a hiatus because they need a break from their hectic lives of being in stardom. This can also be a perfect opportunity where they can take a rest and improve their physical as well as mental state.
Hiatus also means the break between two comebacks of an idol or a group. So they take this opportunity to prepare themselves and improve in many areas to return with another comeback. It can also be thought of as a period of inactivity. If a whole group is on hiatus, it does not mean that the individual members cannot take part in releasing their albums or making solo comebacks. They can do so, and there are many examples of this. For example, when SHINee went on a hiatus in South Korea between 2013 to 2015, Taemin made his solo debut. Along with this, Minho too was participating in dramas and movies, meanwhile Key had musicals.
Apart from this, let us find out why are there so many negative connotations attached to hiatus. It is generally seen that the longer a group is on a hiatus, it gets harder for them to make their comeback. And even if they did, it is highly possible that their fans might have reduced in number and it could even be a non-successful comeback. It is also seen that the longer the time of hiatus, the linger is the chance of the group being disbanded. So of course this is something very sad for the fans.
Individual Idols On Hiatus
If we talk about individual idols going on hiatus, they generally do so for their personal issues. They could have taken a break because of a serious injury, or if they want to take care of their mental health. As we know the Kpop industry is not just a physically tiring place but it can drain you mentally too. Many artists face anxiety and various mental health issues due to which they have to take a break to replenish their energy. Along with this, many times there can be scandals or false allegations because of netizens and ‘fans’ which become really big.
Due to this, the artist gets mentally frustrated and might struggle with stress-related issues, but they also receive physical threats which make things even worse. And so, they take a break so that the people can calm down and try to move on. When the situation gets better, the artist can come back.
The hiatus can also be looked at positively as the artists then have more time for self-care, to look for more hobbies and interests, and find out more about themselves. Some examples can be when S.Coups of Seventeen took a temporary hiatus in 2019 because of his anxiety. Wooseok of UP10TION had to go on a hiatus because of a fake scandal. After taking a break of 9 months, he returned and fans were very happy.
Also read: Top Kpop Scandals That Shook The Entire Industry
