Shinhwa (신화)

When Shinhwa marked their 28th debut anniversary in March 2026, the six original members were still together — a fact that sets them apart from virtually every other group in Korean pop history. Debuting on March 24, 1998, under SM Entertainment, Shinhwa has outlasted label changes, mandatory military service rotations, and the full arc of the first K-pop generation to become the longest-running idol group in South Korea. Their representative work "This Love" remains among the most recognizable tracks tied to the group's identity, and their fandom, Shinhwa Changjo, has stayed loyal across nearly three decades.

Debut and formation

Shinhwa launched in the spring of 1998 at a moment when SM Entertainment was actively shaping what would become the template for the modern Korean idol group. Their debut album, *Haegyeolsa*, arrived that year, followed by a sustained release cadence that established them as one of the dominant acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. *T.O.P.* came in 1999, and *Only One* in 2000, with the group building a catalogue of studio albums across genres that remained broadly within the K-pop frame but incorporated elements of R&B, dance-pop, and ballad-oriented production.

After their time at SM Entertainment, Shinhwa moved to Good Entertainment before eventually taking the unusual step of forming Shinhwa Company, a label owned and operated by the members themselves. That move gave the group a degree of creative and commercial autonomy rare for any act of their era, and it is the structure under which they continue to operate.

Music and discography

The group's output across the 2000s was prolific by any standard. Following *Only One*, they released *Hey, Come On!* in 2001 and then produced three separate albums in 2002 alone — *My Choice*, *Perfect Man*, and *Wedding* — a pace that reflected both their commercial standing and the industry norms of the era. The *Winter Story* series, beginning in 2003 and revisited in subsequent years, became a recurring part of their catalogue alongside studio albums such as *Brand New* (2004), *State of the Art* (2006), and *Volume 9* (2008).

After a hiatus period during which members fulfilled military service obligations and pursued individual activities, Shinhwa returned as a full group with *The Return* in 2012, which included "This Love" — the track most associated with their comeback and one that reintroduced them to a Korean music landscape substantially changed since their peak years. *The Classic* followed in 2013, *We* in 2015, and *Unchanging - Touch* in 2017. Their most recent group release, the extended play *Heart*, arrived in 2018. The group also undertook major concert tours, including the Grand Tour: The Return and Grand Tour: The Classic runs.

Members

Shinhwa's six-member lineup has remained intact since debut, which is central to their identity as a group.

• Eric — member
• Shin Hye-sung (Hyesung) — main vocalist
• Lee Min-woo — member
• Kim Dong-wan (Dongwan) — vocalist
• Junjin — member
• Andy — member

Activities

In early 2026, Lee Min-woo signed an exclusive contract with Backus Entertainment, with the agency announcing support for new music, performances, and broader content work. Around the same time, Lee Min-woo publicly acknowledged that the group's early nude photobook — noted at the time for its unconventional approach — had not resulted in payment to the members involved.

The group's 28th anniversary in March 2026 was marked publicly by Junjin, who described his fellow members as "brothers and friends" and credited sustained mutual affection as the basis of the group's longevity. The occasion was accompanied by separate controversies involving other members: Kim Dong-wan proceeded with a scheduled busking event despite public criticism stemming from a former manager's exposé and from social media posts that drew widespread negative reactions, while Shin Hye-sung's absence from Lee Min-woo's wedding generated speculation about internal tensions that Kim Dong-wan addressed directly on social media, framing the situation as a matter of personal choice rather than discord.

Legacy

Shinhwa's primary distinction is durability. No other K-pop idol group formed during the first generation has remained active with its original lineup for as long. The transition to member-owned Shinhwa Company represented a structural choice that gave them independence over their own catalogue and activities at a time when such arrangements were uncommon in the industry. Their continued presence — releasing music into the 2010s and beyond, mounting major concert tours, and maintaining an active fandom in Shinhwa Changjo — positions them as a reference point for discussions of longevity and group cohesion in Korean popular music.