F.T. Island

F.T. Island (Korean: 에프티 아일랜드, or FT아일랜드, short for Five Treasure Island) is a three-member band from South Korea. The rock band was formed under FNC Entertainment consisting of Hongki (main vocal; Lee Hongki (이홍기), nicknamed "Hongstar"), Jaejin (bass, vocal; Lee Jaejin (이재진)) and Minhwan (drums, vocal; Choi Minhwan (최민환)). Seunghyun (guitar, vocal, rap; Song Seunghyun (송승현)) left the group on December 31, 2019 to pursue his acting career.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2019/12/fnc-announces-that-seunghyun-will-be-leaving-ft-islandhttps://www.soompi.com/article/1373419wpp/song-seung-hyun-and-remaining-ftisland-members-share-letters-following-news-of-his-departure He later decided to leave the entertainment industry entirely.https://www.koreaboo.com/news/second-generation-idol-shocks-fans-sudden-retirement-announcement/ Former leader Jonghoon (leader, guitar, keyboard; Choi Jonghoon (최종훈)) left the band and retired from the entertainment industry on March 14, 2019 following the Burning Sun scandal. 
Considered to be South Korea's first idol band, F.T. Island paved the way for such acts, including label mate N.Flying.https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140402000641
They debuted as a five-member group on June 7, 2007 on M! Countdown with their single "Lovesick" and member Oh Wonbin who withdrew from the band in 2009 and was replaced by Seunghyun, a confirmed fan of F.T. Island. According to Wonbin him and the band stayed in good terms and were even close after his departure to develop a solo career.http://www.allkpop.com/article/2010/11/oh-won-bin-on-ft-island-his-decision-to-leave-and-his-solo-careerhttps://www.allkpop.com/article/2021/12/former-ft-island-member-oh-won-bin-is-getting-married-soon-reveals-that-he-has-a-baby However, "Lovesick" topped the charts and they won awards like "Best New Male Group" in the "Mnet Asian Music Awards" having an equally successful debut album called "Cheerful Sensibility". One year later they made their debut in Japan and in 2009 the sub-unit "F.T. Triple" was formed by Jonghoon, Jaejin and Minhwan to show their skills and to avoid main vocal Hongki overstraining his voice. The sub-group was first called "A3" (because of their blood types) and has been inactive since 2012. Over the years, F.T. Island released seven albums in Korea and eight in Japan. The band held several concerts and tours mainly in Japan. While being considered the first instrumental idol band the members constantly fought with their agency to pursue a different genre in music (Rock). Therefore, they fully composed their latest albums and took the loss of popularity in Korea.https://www.soompi.com/2017/05/14/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-talks-falling-popularity-forgotten/ The band planned to enlist together as a team in 2019 in order to return together as a team. Hongki was discharged on April 18, 2021.https://www.soompi.com/article/1464724wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-celebrates-military-discharge-with-sweet-message-to-fans Jaejin was discharged on August 1, 2021.https://www.soompi.com/article/1481746wpp/ftislands-lee-jae-jin-announces-his-military-discharge-in-post-to-fans Minhwan was discharged on September 2, 2021.https://www.soompi.com/article/1486984wpp/ftislands-minhwan-officially-discharged-from-military-service Following that, the band returned to their activities.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/01/ft-island-announces-exciting-asia-tour-2024-ftisland-live-hey-day-in-asiahttps://www.soompi.com/article/1605184wpp/ftisland-confirmed-to-make-comeback-after-1-year-and-9-months Nowadays, they are accompanied by guitarist Kim Minsung for tours. 
==Fandom==
Their fans are named "Primadonna" after the title of one song of their first album telling the story of an innocent man falling in love for the first time (it also means that the fans are the heroines of their lives). Sometimes male fans refer themselves as "Primadude/Prijackson". 
The official fandom colour is "Sunshine Yellow" and many fans carry a "Pentastick" around. A debate arose when Pentagon started using their introduction phrase "Pentastic! Hello, we are Pentagon!" which was created during the group's pre-debut reality show "Pentagon Maker" and voted on as the one desired by fans. Primadonnas accused Pentagon of copying F.T. Island as it's been pointed out on online communities that the term "pentastic" is too similar to the official F.T. Island fan item called the "Pentastick". On October 12, 2016 Cube adressed the issue stating "we have decided to change it to a more meaningful introduction by combining the number 10, which symbolizes Pentagon, with the word fantastic, to make (Tentastic)".http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/10/pentagon-change-introduction-phrase-after-fans-point-out-its-similar-to-ft-islands-fan-item
For shipping the most popular pairing is Hongjae (Hongki x Jaejin). Sometimes label mates like CNBLUE, AOA or Juniel appear in fanfiction or people the band shares a bromance(/friendship) with (like Hongchul (Heechul x Hongki)).https://www.soompi.com/article/363893wpp/sujus-kim-hee-chul-gathers-with-a-group-of-celeb-friends-who-call-themselves-a-bit-psychotic-but-more-charming-by-the-day
==Interaction with the Fandom==
F.T. Island is known to be completely honest with their fans which results from their early experiences in their career. Due to the mismanagement of FNC Entertainment reporters dug out the whole past of the band members which led to a lot of fake rumours. Nowadays, the band rather reveal everything by themselves, they are sometimes too open for their own good. 
The band is really playful with their fans which is reciprocal since the fans also tend to play tricks on them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPWgVWrye-4 ([ENG SUB] Lee Hongki Live 302 in Hangzhou Talk Cut (1)) Furthermore F.T. Island tries to remember their fans for being able to recognize them in which they often succeed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIw95WALQ48 (FTISLAND recognizes fan again) The members treat their fans sincerely as good friends (and never as lover or girlfriend). That's why Primadonnas are not very intrusive to the boys personal/romantic lives. F.T. Island has really tried to cultivate a friendship-type relationship with their fans rather than a romantic-type. Because of this, they are a little more open about discussing their relationships than most idol groups and fans support their relationships. F.T. Island has a loyal fanbase.
Hongki also often appeared in variety shows (such as Masked Singer, Duet Song Festival, Produce 48,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp7-XvPUrAM (180615 Lee Hongki (이홍기) as vocal trainer Produce48 Ep01)https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/89x6mt/ftislands_lee_hongki_cast_as_vocal_trainer_on/ Produce 101 Japan Season 3,https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/13lqs5s/lee_hongki_ftisland_has_been_announced_as_a_vocal/ Killing Voice, Amazing Saturday,https://www.soompi.com/article/1361769wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-shares-why-he-chose-amazing-saturday-as-last-variety-show-before-enlisting Knowing Bros, Mobidic Showterview with Jessi,https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/ppavgt/jessi_with_ftisland_lee_hongki_episode_67/ Night Goblin,https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/6nr4nm/lee_hongki_ft_island_and_jr_nuest_join_new_jtbc/ Hello Counselor and many others) while the other members don’t like to come since they often get accused for not being capable of playing their instrument. (However, Jaejin used to do "Freestyle Counselling" on the Naver V app instead.https://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201605031402552065859_2 In their earlier days, Seunghyun was also part of the cast of "Maknae Rebellion".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nha7RsmiR2s&list=PLgip0yuUokpVTaemPk-FvjG-hZTNXJEIZ (091128 Idol Maknae Rebellion Ep4 w. SHINee Eng Subbed [1/6]) But fact is that Hongki goes significantly more often on shows). The band advises to go to their concerts since they often don’t get to play their instruments in music shows. In concerts though they are known for high energy performances, for everything being done completely live, great crowdwork and for being playful on stage and with fans. They also seem to be genuinely passionate about music.https://www.theodysseyonline.com/reasons-love-ft-islandhttps://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/nplubj/has_seeing_a_group_perform_live_ever_changed_your/ 
They also do projects like creating their own perfume or nail design to sell it to the fans while the proceeds are donated.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXEW51b-evs (FTISLAND create perfume for fans) Hongki even launched his own designer brand in 2014 called Skull Hong which he’s creative director of. The label sells fashion and accessories which include nails and jewellery while Hongki told the reporters that he wants to break the stereotype where it's weird for men to get nail art.
At the beginning of 2017, for their 10 year anniversary on June 7, 2017, their agency FNC Entertainment announced the band will be holding the special event “THE 10TEN PROJECT”https://www.instagram.com/p/BdPe0DMhdEH/?igsh=NTA0OWMyZWZsNG41 over the next few months in order to make a 10th anniversary memorable for both the band and the fans, with 10 “hidden treasures/treasure chests” (unique events) awaiting fans.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2017/02/ft-island-to-carry-out-a-special-project-with-fans-for-their-10th-anniversaryhttps://www.soompi.com/article/945559wpp/ftisland-kicks-off-10th-year-since-debut-announcement-10-part-projecthttps://twitter.com/FT_FANCLUB/status/868996552605310976 As the first event for the project, Minhwan and Seunghyun met and greeted 200 fans at the fan meeting at Hanatour V Hall on February 5, 2017 which was called "2 Stories of 2 Men in February".https://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201702061511005868806_2https://www.allkpop.com/article/2017/02/ft-islands-seunghyun-and-minhwan-take-you-behind-the-scenes-of-their-2-stories-of-2-men-in-february Their second event was a special broadcast on VLive in May 2017https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRl0Zlur4QA ([FTSUB] FTISLAND 10th Anniversary Commentary) before the comeback the following month with the album "Over 10 Years"https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ftisland-celebrates-10th-anniversary-over-10-years-album-7825438/ on June 7, 2017 which marked the sixth event and was preceded by the third event on May 28, 2017 with the release of a special digital single, a remake of the band's debut song, "Love Sick", in collaboration with one of South Korea's best voices, Kim Na Young while title track, "Wind", released alongside the album. The album was discussed in their 10th-anniversary album showcase.https://www.kpopherald.com/view.php?ud=201706111324572341259_2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP2EddVWRdY (FTISLAND 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE [FULL]SUB/ENG) The fourth event was the release of special merchandise celebrating the 10th anniversaryhttps://idolsfashion.com/products/ftisland-10th-anniversary-sweater?variant=40572427843 while the fifth event was a street bar party called "Sometime" the band was throwing to celebrate on June 4, 2017.https://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201705281336372258928_2 Hongki stated beforehand, "We'll make some side dishes and serve them for you. Moreover, we'll drink with you as well. If many of you guys come to the event, the workload will be tougher, but we want to build up some memories with you." The concert “2017 FT Island Live [X] in Seoul” was held on August 26 and August 27, 2017https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN8mu-mqQso ([FANCAM] 170827 2017 FTISLAND LIVE [X] IN SEOUL - The Night) to mark the beginning of the group’s world tour called "FTISLAND LIVE [X]" (which included six stops European cities as wellhttps://kavenyou.com/ft-island-gains-strength-fans-soju-paris/) as their seventh event.https://www.hellokpop.com/news/ftisland-mark-10-year-milestone-global-tour/https://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201707241652281267971_2 The following event was their 10th ANNIVERSARY CLUB LIVE for Primadonna on October 15, 2017.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icVzry1Antg (FTISLAND 10th ANNIVERSARY CLUB LIVE for PRIMADONNA)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15la_e9FgOQ (FTISLAND - FNC Kingdom 2017 FNC - MIDNIGHT CIRCUS) The last two events were the release of their fanclub book on December 13, 2017https://twitter.com/FT_FANCLUB/status/970904498620178432?lang=de and doing volunteer work (delivering heating briquettes) together with the fans on December 28, 2017.https://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201801211947006174150_2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni35cPoh-Iw (FTISLAND THE 10TEN PROJECT 10주년 기념 연탄봉사활동 SKETCH) Hongki said afterwards, "I think we've spent a meaningful day today. It was fun to be with the fans and see them up-close. This marked the end of our 10th-year anniversary event. You've done a great job for 10 years and as we are still young, I hope to be together also from now on." Fans were very excited during the celebrations and enjoyed every bit of it.
==Controversies==
There were some smaller incidents, for example one where Hongki had to apologize to EXO-Ls for using the bands name (EXO) in a Drama.http://www.allkpop.com/article/2014/10/hongki-apologizes-to-exo-fans-for-using-the-group-name-in-drama-modern-family
=== Mismanagement of FNC and comparison to CNBLUE, struggle with Boice ===
In 2014 Hongki tweeted "I think I’m about to hit the biggest slump of my life. It will get clear now: who believes in me and who doesn’t really care. I changed a lot but while working for 8 years, I think it’s clear that so many other people changed as well. I’m getting exhausted. I think I’ve been dreaming too long. I should accept the reality. I was so stupid.“ which led to fans believing that it was once again FNC Entertainment related and which brought the discussion up again of the major on-going issues with FNC: artistic freedom. Fans were tired of being let down, the band as well. Primadonnas were tired of hearing F.T. Island talk about the music they so desperately want to do, but never listening to the actual product. They were claiming that F.T. Island couldn't promote the sound (rock) and their own songs like they want. A small part of the fandom however also said that it seems that the music stage in Korea is very superficial and rock songs are not the most successful which might be the reason for FNC Entertainments strict management. Nevertheless, fans wanted the entertainment to follow through on its words and letting them release full self-composed albums, communicate more instead of just cancelling fan meets and concerts without reasons, have some faith in F.T. Island and their abilities and therefore let them try, to not play favorites and to manage them properly (with equal opportunities while not insulting them). Primadonnas simply demanded more effort and care.https://fti5.tumblr.com/post/85594217591/editorial-the-on-going-struggle-between In recent time, K-pop fans in general seem to think that FNC Entertainment is a bad company (“When it comes to the trashiest entertainment companies, FNC is the legend of all legends…”) when it comes to the company itself. They still love the artists of the company though.https://www.kbizoom.com/k-netizens-pick-the-worst-entertainment-companies-in-k-pop/ At that time though Primadonnas were just really upset that the band isn’t allowed to produce the music they like. The band fought eight years with their company which resulted in the album "I Will" in 2015. Fans were exhilarated.https://seoulbeats.com/2015/04/ft-island-finds-voice-will/ Their most rock albums to date are "I Will", "Where's the Truth?" and "Over 10 Years". These albums are fondly nicknamed the "holy trinity" by fans. This is why many Primadonnas love their Japanese discography more because they release consitently harder titles. Nowadays fans are sad that the band isn't fully recognized as rock band rather than an idol band in South Korea. Hongki also adressed thishttp://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/239858/20150912/ftisland-cnblue.htm and the band stated that they burdened to be labeled as “idols” because they feel like they have to work even harder as they want to be musicians in the future as well.https://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/1496886.html? Idol bands are not seen as "legitimate" in Korea as there is a "prejudice" against the bands and people regard them as idols.https://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/o61eia/krock_history_and_a_discussion_about_rock_in_kpop/ Fans are saddened by this prejudice wishing that the band was more popular in South Korea while pointing out that the band seems more at ease in Japan. 
Since the debut of CNBLUE on August 19, 2009 the bands get constantly compared coming from the same company and both being "instrumental idol bands". Therefore, the two fandoms (Primadonnas and Boice) also sometimes struggled with each other, especially since the CEO of FNC Entertainment, Han Sung Ho, tends to leave comments favouring CNBLUE (which relates back to fans demanding to give equal opportunities and not favoring one over the other and which adds to Primadonnas disappointment with the company). One famous incident was in 2015 when Han Sung Ho appeared on an episode of “Radio Star”, where he said that he would choose to hand over his company to CNBLUE’s Jung Yong Hwa instead of Lee Hongki because “Lee Hong Ki always just goes astray”. Hongki posted on his Twitter to ask the “Radio Star” producers to invite him on their show once he made a comeback so he could respond to the CEO’s comments about him being a troublemaker which they did. Hongki didn't hold back stating "When I was watching it I almost threw my laptop. Why would you talk about someone who's not there like that? I’ve never done anything that could be called going astray. I don’t understand why he would say that. He told me that it was a mistake in the editing." The host actually stated that it got worse in the original cut. Hongki went on to state that he didn't want to take part in "Cheongdamdong 111" (a show about the daily life and inner workings of FNC Entertainment featuring its artists),https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheongdam-dong_111 but was pressured by the CEO so he was doing him the favor. Hongki said furthermore that he had been used by the agency during the filming to create a scandal which led to fans again believing F.T. Island is unfairly treated.https://www.soompi.com/2015/04/02/lee-hong-ki-nearly-threw-laptop-in-anger-at-agency-ceos-remarks/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPMXZph6qV8 (Hongki's (too) honest thought about Cheongdamdong 111 (ENG SUB)) However, both bands don't like the comparison since their music really differshttps://www.allkpop.com/article/2013/05/hongki-discusses-his-thoughts-on-comparisons-between-ftisland-and-labelmate-cnblue and the members are acutally good friends nowadays.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z0j58aaxno (2023 FTISLAND - 바래 (feat. CNBLUE 정용화 )) In 2014 Seunghyun merely stated that he has an inferiority complex to CNBLUE ("Yes, I do [have an inferiority complex]. But my inferiority complex is more like a feeling of rivarly as a fellow band. The members might feel differently but I think the leader hyung is jealous.").https://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/12674672.html Fans were saddened by the statement.
The loyal fandom is also saddened by the fact, that the band seems to be forgotten nowadays as they were one of the biggest groups/bands.https://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/jssw1p/forgotten_korean_groups/https://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/hho0nv/vocalists_from_bands_are_rarely_talked_about_when/ They were nominated for and received a lot of awards.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_F.T._Island They are considered one of the most successful K-bands of all time and the first idol band.https://koreansalestwt.blogspot.com/2021/07/top-100-best-selling-korean-artists-in.html?m=1 Now though, they are more known by people in their 20s and 30s. In an interview in 2017 Hongki answered to the question whether he was followed around when he goes outside: "No. It's past the times now when I had fans follow me around. When I was young, I didn’t know that things like that happened because I was popular. I thought it was something that just obviously happened. But after some time, I realized, 'Ah, that's what that was.' Now that I make music that's not mainstream and since I focus on live performances instead of broadcasts, I can feel myself being forgotten. I couldn't go outside before, but when my popularity dropped, I realized that all of that was actually very precious. I was lost for a little bit, then I realized that I still needed to make music."https://www.soompi.com/article/984873wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-talks-falling-popularity-forgotten As the band seemed to have come to terms with the fact, the fandom reluctantly also accepted it. They are also still very big in Japan as they still dominate the charts over there which seems to soothe the fans.https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/03/398_212192.html
=== Burning Sun Scandal, Choi Jonghoon's involvement and departure from the band ===
The Burning Sun scandalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLuckWYBWg (K-Pop Stars Opened a Night Club to Drug & Sell Women to Overseas Investors)https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/b0isrw/timeline_of_burning_sun_seungri_jung_joon_young/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/burning-sun-scandal-timeline-seungri-jung-joon-young-8503818/ was a 2019 entertainment and sex scandal in Seoul, South Korea, which involved several celebrities, including Korean idols of popular K-pop groups, and police officials. The allegations of sex crimes added to the country's "epidemic" of what is called "molka", a Korean word for the online distribution of nonconsensual sex videos taken of women, and the scandal became fodder for political parties, who argued over how to handle it.
The Burning Sun nightclub, (클럽 버닝썬, Club Burning Sun), opened at the Le Méridien Seoul hotel in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, on February 23, 2018, and closed during the investigation of the scandal on February 17, 2019. The nightclub was often called "Seungri's Club", due to its affiliation with the idol Seungri of BIGBANG. Due to the club not having a wholesome reputation the general public believed that chaos was to be expected, especially since a couple chaotic stories came to light before the scandal happened.
The first public awareness of the Burning Sun scandal was on January 28, 2019, when MBC Newsdesk reported on an alleged assault of a 29-year-old clubgoer, Kim Sang-kyo, at the Burning Sun nightclub. Kim said he was attempting to help a woman who was being sexually harassed, but staff had assaulted him. When the Yeoksam police arrived, he was arrested as the assailant and booked on seven charges, including criminal battery, an indecent act, defamation and the obstruction of the performance of official duties. He said the police assaulted him after he was placed under arrest. The incident occurred on November 24, 2018, but came to media attention in January 2019, after Kim posted a blue house petition detailing his assault by Burning Sun staffers and mistreatment by police which received more than 200,000 signatures in just one day. The club responded by saying that he was a sexual assaulter and that they were throwing him out which netizens found strange at the time. The general public was on Kim's side. Soon the club's scandal was heightened in the media. Especially since women now that a man was backing them up felt comfortable enough to come forward with their cases as well (before Kim's statement there were cases where women were slut shamed for speaking out about their experiences, many of them also reported the sexual assault they experienced to the police, but they did nothing which led to claims of police corruption).https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/02/251_262964.htmlhttps://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ikrd/seungri-big-bang-sex-scandal-south-koreahttp://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190130000544
On February 2, Dispatch revealed alleged chats among Burning Sun employees that revolved around discussion of date rape.https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/burning-sun-scandal-timeline-seungri-jung-joon-young-8503818/ On February 26, 2019, the first portions of the KakaoTalk was released that would become crucial in the investigation, saying their origin was an anonymous source. A lawyer had obtained the messages from a whistleblower or "anonymous source", possibly a technician at a phone repair shop, where singer and entertainer Jung Joon-young had dropped his phone off for repairs. The recordings dated back to 2015. The scandal revolves around a core chat that involved eight members: Seungri (of BIGBANG), Jung Joon-young, Choi Jonghoon (of F.T. Island), Yoo In Suk (former CEO of Yuri Holdings which held 20 percent of the shares of the club), a Burning Sun employee named Mr. Kim, a relative of a girl group member (the brother of Yuri of Girls' Generation), a former YG Entertainment employee and a friend of Jung.https://www.koreaboo.com/news/mbn-reveals-identities-8-hidden-camera-chatroom-members/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jung_Joon-young_KakaoTalk_chatrooms 
On March 10, Seungri was booked on sex bribery charges.https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190310002451315 The following day, he resigned from entertainment on his Instagram account, stating that he had caused a "societal disturbance" and said he would cooperate with the investigation.https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/seungri-retires-bigbang-statement-8501863/
On March 12, FNC Entertainment denied the involvement of Lee Jong Hyun of CNBLUE and Choi Jong-hoon.
On March 13, Jung Joon-young penned a letter of apology where he confessed his crimes and announced his retirement from the entertainment industry. The same day, a statement was posted on the DC FTISLAND Gallery demanding Choi Jong Hoon’s withdrawal from the band.https://www.soompi.com/article/1310166wpp/fan-community-calls-for-choi-jong-hoons-departure-from-ftislandhttps://www.allkpop.com/article/2019/03/ft-island-fans-submit-petition-requesting-leader-jonghuns-removal-from-the-bandhttps://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/b0vt5g/ft_island_fans_submit_petition_requesting_leader/ 
On March 14, Choi Jong-hoon alongside Yong Jun-hyung of the boy band Highlight announced their retirement from their respective music groups following speculation that they were participants in Jung's chatrooms.https://www.soompi.com/article/1310306wpp/breaking-choi-jong-hoon-to-leave-ftisland-and-retire-from-industry Choi had been a member of one of the chatrooms that was of immediate interest in media reports and the investigation. In one conversation, Choi allegedly detailed his own drunk driving incident from 2016, that was allegedly kept out of media coverage due to help from a police official with the surname Yoon. Although Choi Jong-hoon admitted to drunk driving in 2016, 8 O’Clock News revealed the chat’s discussions about the guitarist paying for a cover-up of the incident.https://abcnews.go.com/International/south-korean-tv-celebrity-admits-sex-video-charges/story?id=61654165
Hongki had a brief response for fans who still supported Choi as he posted to a comment on Instagram written in Japanese, “I beg you. Please don’t give up on Choi Jong Hoon.” the response in Korean “I give up.”https://www.soompi.com/article/1310288wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-responds-to-fans-comment-on-controversy-involving-choi-jong-hoonhttps://imgur.com/a/mcyHlr6 Earlier on March 12, Hongki had reassured fans writing, “I slept and woke up to chaos. Don’t worry.” personally denying any relation to the controversy after fans began speculating that "Lee" is him. Reporter Kang Kyung Yoon who published the initial reports regarding the chatrooms, clarified on March 12 as well that “Lee” is not Lee Hongki but a member of a different group.https://www.soompi.com/article/1309674wpp/reporter-clarifies-that-lee-hong-ki-was-not-involved-in-chatroom-with-jung-joon-young During that time lots of idols were rumored to be part of the scandal.https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/seungri-sex-scandal-idols-involved/ On March 18, Hongki would also go on to give fans some words of reassurance at a concert in Hong Kong. “F.T. Island was going to perform in Hong Kong, but I’m so sorry that it was canceled. But I still came. Although I’m the only one, I still came. It will be a slightly different performance from FTISLAND, but it will still be fun. It’s my last solo concert [before I enter the military]. There’s been a lot of things going on lately, and I want to tell you, I haven’t changed, and I want to interact with you through music.” With a smile, Lee Hong Ki assured, “I know everyone is worried a lot. There will be more FTISLAND performances in the future, so don’t worry. You have to promise me that. Come visit Korea because there is a performance in Korea.”https://www.soompi.com/article/1311172wpp/lee-hong-ki-reassures-fans-about-ftislands-future-following-choi-jong-hoons-departurehttps://www.instagram.com/p/BvHRdSfHJNA/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=c5c2fd41-714a-46a1-b196-128cab703bfa Fans were quick to trust the new leader as he had been carrying the band for a while now. Fans stated that Hongki fought to keep the group together through thick and thin, he's the vocal one the one that will not be afraid to break into the CEO office to call him out and fight for FTISLAND future. And he is the frontman, he's leading the group image. Jaejin was apparently the mediator as he is said to have an easygoing personality. Jonghoon's leader role was really more on the performance side which is why fans felt the band would definitely survive. On top of that, Hongki has always been really honest and open with fans which reassured them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqTbTHWZ9gc (The truth behind Hongki's honesty (ENG SUB))https://www.soompi.com/article/1360444wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-writes-first-letter-to-fans-from-military Primadonnas were proud of Hongki and the fact that he was quick to drop Jonghoon further cemented the respect of fans.https://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/fa5r6g/what_incident_really_changed_your_mind_about_an/ Fans were just scared that people would associate the whole band with the scandal instead of only Jonghoon.
On March 15, Choi Jonghoon was booked on charges of sharing illegal photos and questioned by police on March 16 under allegations of secretly filming and sharing videos. Lee Jong-hyun of rock band CNBLUE, admitted to viewing Jung's sex videos in a group chatroom and making disparaging remarks about women, talking about them as sexual objects.https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2019/03/682_265491.html
Jung Joon-young was arrested on March 21 for charges under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes. He was charged with crimes against at least ten victims for illegally filming and distributing sex tapes. Jung admitted to the charges and apologized at the hearing for his arrest at the Seoul Central District Court, and was later taken to the SMPA's Jongno Police Station.https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190329002900325
The club essentially ran another separate business model at the same time: the club was free to go for girls, especially "pretty ones". Club employees would then "scout" them for their VIP costumers (customers who paid a lot of money basically), even going as far as creating a "menu" for them. After the VIPs had decided on a girl they would drug the girls with drugs like GHB, a common date rape drug, and the VIPs could take them to a "VIP room" or a hotel room next to the club to rape them. Illegal hidden camera videos were filmed and shared of the girls they had sex with. The chat logs where the celebrities described their sex adventures or the trading of girls were later released. In this chat room the participants would also “rate” the women they had sex with. The local police was paid off and would work with the employees to sweep it under the rug which is why females were very discouraged to take actions against the club (the public also didn't believe them before the scandal happened. The public would think that they are trying to sleep with the men to get to their money).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFLuckWYBWg (K-Pop Stars Opened a Night Club to Drug & Sell Women to Overseas Investors)
====Aftermath====
Seungri was initially sentenced to a three-year prison term, a fine of 1.15 billion won (US$990,000), but after a final appeal on January 27, 2022 his prison sentence was reduced to 18 months. Seungri pleaded guilty to all charges brought against him. He also stated that he would reflect on his actions. On February 9, 2023, Seungri was released from prison much to the surprise of netizens. Many netizens were angered that Seungri was only given a short sentence of three years and was baffled as the Korean justice system had not severely punished him for his crimes.https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210812010951315?section=national/nationalhttps://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20220526004251315
Jung Joon Young was initially sentenced to six years in prison for gang sexual assault and for taking and sharing illegally taken sex videos. However, his sentence was reduced to five years after he submitted documents expressing his regret. He was released on March 19, 2024.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/jung-joon-young-will-be-released-from-prison-in-just-4-monthshttps://www.koreaboo.com/news/jung-joon-young-officially-released-prison/
Former member of F.T. Island Choi Jonghoon was initially sentenced to five years in prison after he was charged for participating in two different gang rapes, though his sentence was reduced to two years and six months after being able to come to a settlement with his victims.https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3084044/k-pop-sex-scandal-jung-joon-young-choi-jong-hoon-get-jail-terms Choi was released on parole in November 2021. In January of the following year, his YouTube channel revealed glimpses of Choi attending church.
Former member of Highlight, Yong Junhyung and former CNBLUE member Lee Jonghyun did not face charges.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Jong-hyunhttps://www.koreaboo.com/news/yong-jun-hyun-burning-sun-illegal-chats-hyuna-dating/
There are also other non-celebrity people who faced charges.http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190306000561http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190401000669https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/251_265495.html
Follwing his release netizens speculated that Choi Jonghoon is trying to come back into the industry. According to reports, Choi Joon Hoon recently joined a Japanese fan platform, Fanicon. Fanicon is similar to private messaging apps such as weverse, where artists can communicate directly with fans. Choi Joon Hoon reportedly wrote to his fans in the app: "It has been almost five years since I last greeted you. Thanks to your messages, I was able to gather strength the to appear in front of you. Thank you so much. I hope I can communicate with HUNIYAs (fandom name). In the future, I would like to show my daily life and everything about me. I will work towards a brighter future with you, so please encourage me as a supporter."https://www.koreaboo.com/news/burning-sun-choi-jong-hoon-ftisland-fanicon-return/https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/317074/20240115/former-ftisland-choi-jong-hoons-surprise-comeback-sparks-burning-sun.htm This enraged and shocked Primadonnas some calling Choi shameless. People wondered what an idol has to do so that people will stop supporting them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02A2Q9vTUo0 (What Happened To The Burning Sun Criminals?) Much to the dismay of fans there are still people who are supporting him though. However, public opinion remains cold towards his comeback. On top of that, in March 2024 Junghoon was suspected of using F.T.Island member Minhwan's address to register his residence falsely.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/03/former-ftisland-member-jonghun-suspected-of-using-minhwans-address-for-false-resident-registration Fans were enraged on behalf of Minhwan.
====Reaction of the public and fans====
People were enraged about the Burning Sun scandal stating that the recent nightclub scandal exposed a culture that exploits women and is very misogynistic. The scandal added to ongoing discussions of women's issues in South Korea — gender inequality, the budding Me Too movement in South Korea, feminism, "molka", prostitution, and the K-pop industry's attitude towards women. Activists criticized a general dismissive attitude towards the crimes, citing a "deeply rooted gender inequality and misogyny in the country". Talks included the K-pop industry, which critics had blamed for sexualizing women. Gangnam's nightclubs, usually "a pilgrimage site for K-pop fans", immediately saw a tapering of Chinese tourists, followed by a general decline of customers to nightclubs and lounge bars.https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/burning-sun-scandal-torched-south-korea-s-eliteshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-15/sex-scandal-engulfs-k-pop-tarnishing-industry-s-image
Allegations of police misconduct and corruption in the scandal added public support to a government proposal to create an independent investigative agency, first announced by President Moon in July 2017, and still undergoing political debate. Proposed to "uncover wrongdoing by high-level government officials and their relatives", with the power to take over prosecutions, opponents had questioned its own potential for corruption.
Primadonnas' mostly started hating Choi for tarnishing the group's image immediately and instantly dropped him while wishing to erase him from the band's history. Many were disappointed and very disgusted. On March 13, a statement was posted on the DC FTISLAND Gallery demanding Choi Jong Hoon’s withdrawal from the band. It was written in the statement, "As a leader, he has disgraced FTISLAND’s image and is expected to negatively affect their activities. We strongly demand as of March 13, 2019 that Choi Jong Hoon be removed, not suspended, from the group." However, a small amount of fans continued to support him.https://www.soompi.com/article/1310166wpp/fan-community-calls-for-choi-jong-hoons-departure-from-ftisland
Netizens state that these issues are deeper than K-pop, they penetrate all of corporate culture here and that Seungri and the rest were a scapegoat for the bigger culprits. However, the scandal still changed how fans view idols, but many fans claim that it didn't change enough and that there were barely any repercussions. Fans are especially enraged about the shortness of the sentences. Fans are a lot more sceptical and have accepted that they aren't angels but indeed human especially since a lot of idols were initially dragged into the scandal. Netizens speculate that Burning Sun isn't an isolated incident which led to fans developing more of a distrust towards the male idols and are less keen to support them. They just don’t seem popular with casual fans or the general public like some used to be, but even that distrust isn't very strong as male idols are still doing just fine, they have millions of fans and are all over TV. Their charting is poor now (with only a couple of exceptions), but people don't know if it's caused by this as boy groups have been losing the popularity with the general public even before Burning Sun.
Hongki has maintained a firm stance on former member Choi Jonghoon. A response Hongki left to a fan’s comment gained attention on May 30, 2019. The fan wrote, “While Lee Hong Ki and his stylist are having fun in Hawaii, Choi Jong Hoon is in jail. Are you okay with that? Do you sleep well?” To this, Hongki wrote back, “I eat well, I sleep well, and I even poop well.”https://www.soompi.com/article/1328810wpp/ftislands-lee-hong-ki-has-firm-response-to-fans-comment-about-former-bandmate-choi-jong-hoon 
Hongki later stated in an interview in 2022: "This was the one thing that I asked the members when we were renewing our contracts with the company recently: 'Will you be doing FTISLAND till the end, will you protect it till the end?' For me I will 'protect F.T. Island' no matter what and the members think the same way too."https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/ftisland-interview/ With that sentiment the band managed to stay together as one (without Choi).
=== Minhwan's marriage and divorce ===
In November 2017 LABOUM's Yulhee dropped out of her group. This led to many speculations on what had happened as the couple (Minhwan and Yulhee) first confirmed their relationship in September of 2017.https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/71le0k/laboums_yulhee_accidentally_reveals_shes_dating/ Most Primadonnas already knew that Minhwan was secretly dating as he mentioned it in an interview and were happy for him.https://www.whatthekpop.com/2017/09/22/laboums-yulhee-and-ftislands-minhwan-confirmed-to-be-dating/ Primadonnas are not very intrusive to the boys personal/romantic lives. F.T. Island has really tried to cultivate a friendship-type relationship with their fans rather than a romantic-type. Because of this, they are a little more open about discussing their relationships than most idol groups. Yulhee received hate though. The couple announced their engagement in January 2018. While there were reports at the time of their marriage news that Yulhee was pregnant, the agencies did not confirm them.
On May 9, Minhwan wrote a letter to fans on F.T. Island’s fan cafe, in which he stated that he wanted to let his fans know about his news before anyone else. In addition to confirming Yulhee’s pregnancy, Minhwan also announced that their wedding is planned for October 19, 2018.https://www.soompi.com/article/1167381wpp/ftislands-minhwan-announces-fiancee-yulhee-pregnant Fans were shocked because of her young age, but were ultimately supportive.
The couple legally registered their marriage in early 2018, and welcomed their first son in May 2018. They decided to hold a private wedding ceremony on October 19, 2018. Fellow band members expressed their support.https://www.soompi.com/article/1248123wpp/ftislands-minhwan-yulhee-share-beautiful-photos-thanks-wedding
On the April 26, 2019 airing of KBS2 "Happy Together 4", Yulhee revealed, "I found out about my pregnancy a day after the dating news. But it was during promotions and there was a performance scheduled in Japan, and I had to carry on other schedules. It was in the beginning stage so my back was hurting and my belly was getting bigger but I had to wear stage outfits." She was touched by Minhwan's reaction because he told her, "Of course we have to have the baby. I have to take responsibility." 
Later on, Yulhee began appearing on broadcast again with her children and husband. Their young age, relationship controversy and status as K-pop idols meant the pair remained in the spotlight by appearing on a string of Korean talk shows as well as the popular reality series "Mr. House Husband". In hindsight, these programs often saw the couple airing their dirty laundry and exposed cracks in their marriage. In one episode of "Mr. House Husband", Yulhee's father revealed that he discovered his daughter's pregnancy when meeting Minhwan for the first time. The former couple also revealed their outrageous spending habits. The financial confession shed light on the differences between the pair, as Minhwan opposed the excessive spending and said that it was too much for the children.https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/310514/20221205/overspending-yulhee-minhwan-criticized-cost-spent-kids-education.htm Minhwan ended up getting a vasectomy shortly after the birth of their twins, only for Yulhee to reveal shortly after that she wanted to have a fourth child.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2021/11/minhwan-confesses-that-he-has-already-undergone-a-vasectomy-while-yulhee-says-that-his-decision-might-have-been-rushedhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12835643/Pop-star-announces-divorce-just-days-26th-birthday-hands-primary-custody-three-children-rocker-husband-thats-shocked-fans.html
They have three young children, their son Jaeyul, and twin girls Ah Yoon and Ah Rin. The children also often appear on variety shows such as "Return Of Superman".
After five years of marriage, Yulhee and Minhwan had decided to go their separate ways. On December 4, 2023 Yulhee took to her Instagram to share the announcement of their divorce. Soon after Minhwan responded.https://www.soompi.com/article/1629987wpp/yulhee-and-ftislands-minhwan-announce-divorce-after-5-years-of-marriage Minhwan expressed, "After lengthy discussions, our couple decided to conclude our marriage. We appreciate the support from everyone who has followed and cheered for our decision to start a family at a young age. I am grateful to our family, team members, and fans for their support. I apologize sincerely. I will do my best as a father to ensure that our children do not carry any emotional scars." followed by his statement: "Hello, this is Minhwan. It's been a while since I greeted you, and though the message is not light, I cautiously share this difficult decision with you. After much consideration, our couple has decided to end our marriage. We appreciate your support for our decision to start a family at a young age, and we apologize sincerely to everyone—our family, team members, and fans. I will do my best as a father to prevent our children from experiencing emotional distress. We hope to bring you good news again. Thank you." 
They decided that it is best for the children to stay in the familiar space they have known leaving Minhwan in the full custody of the three children. The move has divided Koreans, with some condemning the young mother while others have thrown their support behind her. Fans reacted shocked and sad, but people extended their support. Many felt bad for the kids. Many wondered what the reason could be as netizens were caught by surprise. To them he two looked like the perfect couple on TV shows.https://www.koreaboo.com/news/netizens-react-yulhee-ftisland-minhwan-divorce/ As many K-pop fans and K-netz cheered for their family when they were still together, a lot were saddened by the news and conveyed regrets. Amid this, some netizens couldn't help but criticize Yulhee, who failed to take her children's custody despite being the mother. Although she promised to visit them, fans wondered why she didn't get the right to raise her three kids, when it is usually the case, especially for young children.https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/316433/20231206/minhwan-receives-support-after-divorce-why-yulhee-criticism.htm On December 13, Choi Minhwan shared a brief video on his Instagram, accompanied by the hashtag "#FTISLAND" and subsequently deleted the earlier post in which he had announced his divorce from Yulhee.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/ft-islands-choi-min-hwan-deletes-all-traces-of-his-ex-wife-yulhee-on-instagram This led to fans thinking that it wasn't an amicable divorce some thinking it was distateful and disrespectful because she gave up her youth and career for him. That she got pregnant before their marriage also doesn't sit right with international fans. However, it's not a taboo in South Korea, but rather common. Others supported him saying it would be good for his mental health.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2023/12/ft-islands-choi-min-hwan-deletes-all-traces-of-his-ex-wife-yulhee-on-instagram Primadonnas were mostly on Minhwan's side.
Yulhee later confirmed fans suspicions that they are co-partenting while again stating that she didn't have custody as it would be psychologically damaging to the children to move them.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/01/yulhee-reveals-the-reason-why-choi-min-hwan-took-custody-of-the-children However, Yulhee still became the center of criticism again after giving up her custody to ex-husband Minhwan for posting kids on her Instagram, with netizens accusing her of using them for content. On the flip side, the sympathy of people was given to Minhwan, who remained quiet about the divorce, and rather, he had been working non-stop to provide for his kids.https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/317341/20240130/yulhee-accused-using-kids-content-divorce-minhwan-gave-up-custody.htm Later, she was also caught in a dating rumor.https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/317595/20240212/yulhee-dating-rumor-divorce-minhwan.htm
=== Departure of Seunghyun ===
At the end of 2019 FNC Entertainment announced that Seunghyun will be leaving F.T. Island to focus on his acting career.https://www.allkpop.com/article/2019/12/fnc-announces-that-seunghyun-will-be-leaving-ft-island Fans were saddened and heartbroken by that statement thinking this would be the beginning of the end of F.T. Island. They were really scared of what would happen to the band. The rest of the members disproved them though as they seemed to be supporting Seunghyun's decision and continued with their careers. Fans also noticed how Seunghyun is still close to Jaejin, Minhwan and Hongki and often hangs out with Minhwan as there have been pictures of them.https://www.reddit.com/r/kpopthoughts/comments/r7qrdv/song_seunghyun_and_choi_minhwan_ftisland_finally/
Hongki later stated in an interview in 2022: "This was the one thing that I asked the members when we were renewing our contracts with the company recently: 'Will you be doing FTISLAND till the end, will you protect it till the end?' For me I will 'protect F.T. Island' no matter what and the members think the same way too." With that sentiment the rest of the band managed to stay together as one.
In 2024 Seunghyun announced his departure from the entertainment industry through social media.https://www.koreaboo.com/news/second-generation-idol-shocks-fans-sudden-retirement-announcement/ "Hello, everyone. This is Seunghyun. I would like to express my sincere apologies to the fans who have patiently awaited my return, as I am not very active on social media, and it has been a while since I left the company. I deeply regret the lack of effective communication and the extended period of silence. I am truly sorry and grateful to those fans who have waited for me. After much contemplation, I have decided to leave the entertainment industry and possibly leave Korea to start a new chapter in my life. It has been four years since I departed from the team FTISLAND to pursue a career as an actor. The challenges were not only in adapting to new endeavors but also in facing the uncertainties of unpredictable waiting periods and complex interpersonal relationships. While there are no easy tasks or simple relationships in any field, I aim to embrace a healthy and disciplined new life that I can tackle day by day. I wanted to convey my gratitude to the fans who have been have been patient and supportive, and I sincerely hope that both you and I can lead healthy and happy lives without physical or emotional distress. Thank you."https://www.instagram.com/p/C3XWhmKvYoD/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=0471490d-e04a-467f-901c-0c84222f6471
Following his retirement announcement, he revealed that he is getting married (according to sources in June 2024).https://www.allkpop.com/article/2024/02/former-ft-island-member-seunghyun-announces-marriage-following-his-retirement
==Accounts==
===Together===
*official website Korea: https://fncent.com/ftisland/b/introduce/1281
*official website Japan: http://ftisland-official.jp/ 
*official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialftisland/ 
*official facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FTISLAND 
*official Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ftisland 
*official Youtube FNC: https://www.youtube.com/user/thefncofficial 
===Individual===
*Hongki, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skullhong12/ 
*Hongki, Twitter: https://twitter.com/skullhong?lang=de
*Hongki, designer brand website: http://en.skullhong.com/
*Jaejin, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saico0111/ 
*Jaejin, Twitter: https://twitter.com/saicowow 
*Minhwan, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minhwan12/ 
*Minhwan, Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/minaryTV 
*Minhwan, Twitter: https://twitter.com/FtDrMh1111 
*Seunghyun, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soow456/ 
* former Twitter of Jonghoon: https://twitter.com/FtGtJh
===Fanclubs===
*Official Fanclub Website
*Twitter Chile
==Fan Fiction==
*Fanfiction on the Archive of Our Own
*Fanfiction on Asianfanfics
*ft-fiction at Livejournal - fanworks community
*ft-lovesick at Livejournal - fanworks community
*sarangahlee at Livejournal - fanfiction community
== Example Fanworks ==
=== Fanvideos ===
* Heechul & Hongki's friendship
==Fannish Resources==
*allkpop forum 
*Hongki
==Resources==
*Wikipedia
*F.T. Island at Allkpop
*F.T. Island at Soompi
*F.T. Island on Omona They Didn't!
==References==
Category:Fandoms by Source Text
Category:K-Pop People and Groups
Category:K-Rock Fandom
Category:Boy Groups (Kpop)