JYP Entertainment announced that drummer Gunil has left Korean rock group Xdinary Heroes and terminated his exclusive contract with the agency, following online allegations about his conduct toward fans.
Xdinary Heroes will continue as a quintet with the remaining members Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han and Jooyeon.
JYP’s Full Statement About Xdinary Heroes’ Gunil
JYP’s statement, posted to Xdinary Heroes’ official social media accounts, read, “Regarding a recent matter involving member Gunil, we have been fully aware of the gravity of the situation and engaged in thorough discussions with Gunil. As a result, we have determined that continuing group activities with him is no longer feasible, and have mutually agreed to terminate his exclusive contract. Accordingly, we wish to inform you that effective today, Gunil has departed from Xdinary Heroes and has concluded his activities with the group. We sincerely apologize to fans for the distress caused by this sudden news. Going forward, Xdinary Heroes will continue their activities as a five-member group.”
The agency did not specify what the matter was in its statement, but the announcement followed posts made on August 11 by an individual claiming to be Gunil’s former girlfriend, alleging that he’d privately insulted fans on multiple occasions and including what she described as an audio recording as evidence. The allegations have not been independently verified and Gunil has not issued a public statement.
Who Xdinary Heroes Are
Xdinary Heroes, a shortening of “Extraordinary Heroes,” is a South Korean rock band under JYP Entertainment’s sub-label Studio J. They debuted in 2021 with the single “Happy Death Day” and have since released tracks including “Hello, World!” (2022), “Deadlock” (2023), and “FiRE.” All six members have been involved in writing, composing, and producing the band’s music, and Gunil served as the group’s leader, drummer, and vocalist. The group operates in the K-rock and alternative rock space, occupying a distinct corner of JYP’s roster separated from the agency’s more conventional idol output.
K-Pop’s Long History With Allegations
The timeline of Gunil’s removal from the group JYP Entertainment moved rather quickly, with a brief 48-hour window from initial social media posts on August 11 to a full contract termination on August 13.
This swiftness is not entirely unprecedented in the industry, especially when dealing with allegations that could cause reputational damage for the artist’s group or company. Within the Korean entertainment system, reputations are prized assets heavily dependent on fierce fandom reactions.
Consider Soojin, who was ousted from girl group (G)I-DLE in 2021 six months after school bullying claims surfaced. Her legal representatives stated in September 2022 that the school committee had found her not guilty and recognised her as a victim of bullying by seniors”. Kim Garam was cut from LE SSERAFIM just two months after debut based on online posts alleging school bullying.
Even when agencies try to slow down, the end result often looks the same. SM Entertainment initially put RIIZE’s Seunghan on an indefinite hiatus in late 2023 following anonymous leaks about his personal life, attempting a more measured response. After ten months of hiatus, SM Entertainment announced his return to the group, only to reverse their decision a mere 48 hours later, following intense fan backlash.
Wonho’s 2019 exit from Monsta X tells a similar story; after social media accusations triggered an investigation into alleged drug use, prosecutors fully exonerated him of drug charges months later. He rebuilt his career as a soloist, but the door to his former group remained closed.
Gunil’s Xdinary Heroes Exit And A Year Of K-Pop Departures
August has already produced three JYP departure announcements; just earlier today, Chaeyoung of TWICE became the second member to announce her own exit from the agency, only three days after bandmate Jeongyeon. Gunil’s case is somewhat different from those, however, since Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon departed amicably to pursue independent solo careers while remaining committed to TWICE group activities.
Taken together, though, today’s announcements are the latest in what has been a turbulent year for K-pop lineup stability. With over four months left in the year, 2026 has already seen departures from ENHYPEN, NCT, ZEROBASEONE, NewJeans and KATSEYE alongside the ongoing TWICE contract renegotiations. These exits span every category — amicable agency transitions, contractual disputes, health related hiatuses, and now with the Xdinary Heroes leader, conduct-related terminations as well.