8 Idols Who Left SM Entertainment, And What They’re Doing Now

These idols all left SM Entertainment, for various reasons, but have continued on to massive success! Let’s see what they have been up to since their departure from one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea.

1. Kris (Former EXO member)

Kris left SM Entertainment in 2014, sparking massive controversy with his lawsuit against the company, citing health and financial reasons to terminate his contract.

He headed back to his home country of China and promoted as a singer, model, and actor, achieving massive success. He is now one of the hottest Chinese actors and musicians, known around the world for his roles in Mr. Six and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back, which are among the highest-grossing Chinese films of all time. He is also active in the US and Canada, having made his Hollywood debut in xXx: Return of Xander Cage in 2017. He owns his own entertainment company and continues to make music in the US.

In 2017 he spoke about his decision to leave SM Entertainment, saying it was due to a lack of freedom to create his own music and the stress of being away from his family for seven years.

2. Hangeng (Former Super Junior member)

Hangeng, who was a member of Super Junior and the leader of Super Junior-M, left both groups when he sued SM Entertainment in 2009 for termination of his contract. He revealed later that he’d done this because he wanted to pursue acting and SM Entertainment wasn’t flexible. He told a Chinese talk show: “The agency controls your image and won’t let you do the things you want. An idol must put the agency and the group ahead of himself.”

He’s been promoting as a singer and actor in China ever since and has gained international success with solo albums and movies alike. In 2014, he had a cameo role in Transformers: Age of Extinction. He also has a fixed spot on the Chinese variety show Street Dance of China.

3. Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Xia (Former TVXQ! members)

In a very well-known and publicized lawsuit, three members of the then-five-member TVXQ! sued SM Entertainment for unfair contract terms in 2009. The suit was settled in 2012, but by then the three had already moved on under C-JeS Entertainment as JYJ.

Each of their albums released between 2010 and 2013 reached number one on the charts. The three also had acting success, with Yoochun becoming the lead in dramas like Rooftop Prince and Xia (aka Kim Junsu) becoming especially popular in musical theater. Xia also became an OST legend, appearing in Scent of A Woman as himself.