Hier erfährst du mehr über die legendäre Boygroup Super Junior!

Pre-Debut

In 2000, the story took off when the first future members of Super Junior attended auditions held by SM Entertainment and were accepted as trainees: Han Geng, Leeteuk, Yesung, and Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk had already participated in an SM audition in 1999, but was not accepted. Fortunately, he tried again!

The following year, Sungmin and Donghae joined them and together they won a competition sponsored by SM. In the years that followed, things continued to go at a rapid pace. In 2002, Heechul, Kangin and Kibum joined, in 2003 Siwon and in 2004 Shindong and Ryewook.

A few members were already active in the entertainment industry at that time. For example, Kibum had already acted in two dramas (April Kiss & Sharp 2). Heechul had also appeared in a drama (Sharp 2), hosted a music show, and shot commercials. Siwon made an appearance in a music video of Dana from The Grace as well as two dramas (Precious Family & Eighteen, Twenty-Nine) and Han Geng was in a couple of small Chinese films.

Did you know that Siwon was originally supposed to debut solo and SM Entertainment was planning a five-member boy group called "Smile" with Leeteuk and Donghae?Eventually, however, those plans were scrapped and the 12 trainees debuted together!

Before their debut, the trainees were often referred to as "Juniors," which eventually led to the boy group being named Super Junior. Previously, there were rumors that the group would be called O.V.E.R (Obey the Voice for Each Rhythm).

Super Junior 05

SM Entertainment originally wanted to introduce a rotation system. That is, the existing members were to be replaced by new ones after a certain period of time to keep the group young. That's why the 12 members that debuted in 2005 were originally called "Super Junior 05." This was to be the title for the first generation of Super Junior. However, as you may know, this concept was already abolished in 2006. More on that in a moment!

On September 11, 2005, Super Junior 05 held a showcase where they performed various hip-hop moves and danced to songs like "Caught Up" by Usher, for example.

The members

If you've ever wondered why Shindong doesn't perform under his real name, you now have an answer. "Donghee" is too similar to "Donghae", so the singer adopted the stage name "Shindong".

Former members

As you can see, three of the original members have since left Super Junior, while Kyuhyun joined in 2006. Find out how that came about in this article!

2005 - 2006: Debut + Han Geng's Visa Problems

Super Junior 05 officially debuted on November 6, 2005 with a performance to the first single "Twins (Knock Out)." On November 8, "Twins" and other songs like "You Are the One" were released digitally and on December 5, the album was finally released, which is called "Twins" like the single. The single, by the way, is a cover of the song "Knockout" by the British pop group Triple 8 from 2003.

The album topped Hanteo's Weekly Chart and reached #3 on the Korean MIAK chart. The latter probably doesn't mean anything to you because the chart was only released from 1998 to 2008. Although these chart placements were already a good start, the album's true achievement only became clear as the years went by. For four years in a row (2005 to 2008), it was one of the 60 best-selling albums in South Korea, as after selling nearly 50,000 copies in 2005, another 26,500 copies followed in 2006, and 10,400 were sold in 2007.

With their debut, Super Junior have attracted attention for many different reasons! One reason, of course, is their music, but the boy band also attracted a lot of attention because of the number of members.

In fact, Super Junior was the first K-Pop group with 12 members! Until then, groups usually consisted of 3 to 6 members. Meanwhile, boy groups or girl groups of this size are no longer rare. Loona, IZ*ONE and Seventeen are just a few examples.

But that was not all. Super Junior was also the first K-pop group with a Chinese member. As the first Chinese K-pop idol, Han Geng had to face some difficulties.

At that time, there was still a law in South Korea that foreigners could only perform on three tv stations. There were also problems with Han Geng's visa. SM Entertainment was not aware of the problem because Han Geng was not only the first Chinese idol, but even one of the first foreign idols altogether, if not the first. The problem was temporarily solved by Han Geng wearing a mask on stage. Some people even thought he was a backup dancer because he always stayed in the background.

For 2 to 3 months Han Geng wore a mask until a legendary incident. At a concert, Han Geng's bandmate Heechul took off his mask and pushed him forward. He was fed up with Han Geng having to hide, as he suffered greatly as a result. Han Geng performed the rest of the concert without the mask and also performed without it afterwards. There are no recordings of this moment; only the visitors of the concert saw it.

Thanks to this, a few years later foreigners were allowed to perform freely on television.

The debut album was followed by a single album on December 15, 2005, which Super Junior 05 recorded together with TVXQ, another boy group from SM Entertainment. It ranked #1 on the MIAK chart. From February 14, 2006, Super Junior 05 promoted "Miracle", a song from "Twins", topping the charts in Thailand. A music video for Miracle was also released at the end of February.

Following this, SM Entertainment was already choosing new members for the second generation of Super Junior, which would be called "Super Junior 06". In addition, it was discussed which of the previous members would leave the group in exchange. However, it did not come so far. In May, Kyuhyun joined as the thirteenth member, but the rotation system was abolished. Since then, the boy group is no longer known as Super Junior 05, but as Super Junior.

On May 25, 2006, the new single "U", the first featuring Kyuhyun, was released digitally. Fans could download it for free. A physical album was also released on June 6, which sold over 81,000 copies. "U" was one of the most popular songs of the year in South Korea!

2006 - 2011: The first subunits in K-Pop + Heechul's accident

Still in 2006, Super Junior's first subunit "Super Junior-K.R.Y" was formed. Once again, Super Junior changed the K-pop scene, as it was not only the boy group's first subunit, but the first subunit of a K-pop group ever!

K.R.Y are the initials of the three members Kyuhyun, Ryeowook and Yesung. The three debuted as a unit on November 5, 2006, with the song "The One I Love" serving as the soundtrack for the K-drama "Hyena". The Unit focuses on R&B ballads.

In February 2007, the second subunit already made its debut: Super Junior-T consists of Leeteuk, Heechul, Kangin, Sungmin, Shindong and Eunhyuk. The T stands for "Trot", a K-pop genre that originated in the first half of the second century. Namely, the unit has been releasing Trot songs, starting with their first single "Rokkugo" on February 23.

In September 2007, Super Junior released their second album together, "Don't Don", which topped the MIAK chart and was the second best-selling album in 2007, selling 164,000 copies, even though it was released just three months before the end of the year! Fans were excited to see Super Junior back on stage with all 13 members after more than a year. In fact, "Don't Don" was supposed to be released as early as November 2006.

However, the album was postponed after Heechul suffered a serious car accident on August 10.

He was on his way back from the funeral of Donghae's father. He needed stitches and several iron rods were inserted into his leg. He spent a month in the hospital and did not return to his activities until several weeks after his release. The last iron rods were removed in 2008. As a result of the accident, Heechul is still absent from most live performances today because his leg prevents him from dancing properly. Nevertheless, he is always involved in the recording of the albums and can be seen regularly in Variety shows.

In 2008 there were two more subunits debuting, one after the other!

On April 8, the third subunit Super Junior-M debuted with a Chinese version of "U". On April 23, the first album "Me" was released. The "M" stands for Mandopop (Chinese pop). It is a Chinese unit. It became the most successful unit of Super Junior, regularly topping the charts especially in China. In addition to Han Geng, Siwon, Donghae, Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, the members include two new members: Chinese Henry and Zhou Mi.

When the new members were announced, some fans had led protests. They feared that SM Entertainment would go back to the original plan and replace some of the older members with the new ones. However, that was not the case. In fact, Henry and Zhou Mi are only members of Super Junior-M, not Super Junior. In 2011, Sungmin and Eunhyuk were added to the unit after Han Geng left Super Junior and thus the unit in 2009.

The very next month, the fourth unit Super Junior-H (Das H steht für Happy) gegründet. Die Mitglieder sind Leeteuk, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk und Kangin. Ihr Debüt Album “Cooking? Cooking!” erschien am 5. Juni.

The fifth and so far last subunit Super Junior D&E joined in 2011. Like K.R.Y, the name is composed of the members' initials: Donghae and Eunhyuk. The duo released their first single, "Oppa, Oppa" on Dec. 16.

Seitdem haben zahllose andere K-Pop Bands ebenfalls eigene Subunits gegründet. WJSN Chocome, Moonbin & Sanha (Astro) oder Orange Caramel (After School) sind nur ein paar Beispiele. Natürlich haben inzwischen auch viele weitere Gruppen von SM Entertainment eine oder mehrere Units wie Girls’ Generation Oh!GG, EXO-CBX, Irene & Seulgi (Red Velvet) und natürlich NCT Dream, NCT 127 und mehr!

As you can see, Super Junior has already heavily influenced the K-Pop scene in the first two-three years of their career and can rightfully call themselves a legend!

2009: Sorry Sorry (breakthrough)

On March 12, 2009, the third studio album "Sorry, Sorry" was released with the title song of the same name. It is still the most famous song of Super Junior and represented a breakthrough for the boy group. Although the boy group was already very successful at that time, the new album surpassed all previous records:

The album entered the Hanteo chart at number 1 and sold 29,000 copies on the first day. After only one month, it was already considered the best-selling album of the year in South Korea! But not only there. It also became the best-selling K-pop album of 2009 in Taiwan, Thailand, China, and the Philippines!

The title track stayed at the top of the Korean charts for a full ten weeks and broke records in Taiwan. There, Sorry, Sorry occupied No. 1 in the charts for no less than 37 weeks! Of course, Super Junior was also awarded a number of prizes for the song. A number of professional Korean athletes danced to Sorry, Sorry at award ceremonies after winning championships, and even the Korean Air Force covered the famous moves.

Especially at a time when Instagram did not yet exist and other social media such as Twitter and YouTube were only three to four years old, it was all the more impressive how Super Junior took the whole of Asia by storm and attracted the interest of fans even beyond.

In July 2009, four months after the album's release, Super Junior embarked on their second Asian tour, "Super Show 2". The first one took place in the first half of 2008.

Before 2009 ended, Han Geng left the group. And that was not the last line-up change Super Junior and their fans had to cope with.

2009 - 2019: Line-up changes + military service & international achievements

On December 21, Han Gengrequested his contract with SM Entertainment to be cancelled. At the same time, he ended all his activities with Super Junior. The reason he gave was that the terms of the contract were against the law and his rights. In July 2012, he already released his first solo album.

Kibum did not participate in "Super Show 2" in 2009. On the one hand, he had suffered a foot injury that took several weeks to heal, and furthermore, he wanted to focus on his acting career for the time being. In fact, he did not return to his activities with Super Junior. But it wasn't until 2015 that he officially left the boy group when his contract with SM Entertainment ended.

In October 2009, Kangin was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and subsequent hit-and-run. He had crashed into a cab carrying three passengers. Because of the incident, Kangin withdrew from his activities and did not return until July 2012 for the album "Sexy, Free & Single." In 2015, he was sued again for drunk driving and has not been active as a member of Super Junior since then. He officially left the group in July 2019.

Sungmin is still officially a member of Super Junior today, but he has not been active with the boy group since 2015. He began his military service in 2015 and then focused on his solo career. He released his own albums and starred in series and musicals. In December 2014, he also married the actress Kim Saeun! Thus, he is currently the only married member of Super Junior.

Without Han Geng, Kibum, and Kangin, the remaining ten members released two albums in 2010 and 2011: Bonamana (May 2010) and Mr. Simple (August 2011).

Even with the changed lineup, Super Junior broke records again! Bonamana sold more than 36,000 copies on its first day, and the album stayed at the top of the Taiwanese charts for 61 weeks! It even surpassed Sorry, Sorry! Mr. Simple couldn't quite keep up, but was also considered a huge achievement, selling 441,000 copies in two months.

Military service

In September 2011, just one month after the release of Mr. Simple, Heechul began his military service. Military service is mandatory for men in South Korea and now lasts 18 to 22 months, depending on which branch is served in. But before 2021, service lasted 21 to 24 months, so Heechul and the other members of Super Junior were all in the military for almost two years!

Heechul was the first, but in the following years, one by one, his bandmates also began their service. In May 2019, Kyuhyun was the last to finish his service. Over the eight years, of course, the boy group released more albums and gave concerts, but the lineup kept changing depending on who was in and out of the military. Since the services overlapped, often several members were missing. In addition, of course, some left the group or took a break.

International Achievements

During these eight years the albums Sexy, Free & Single, Hero (Japanese) Spy, Mamacita, This is Love, Devil, Magic, Play, Replay and One More Timewere released. They all stormed the charts in South Korea and Asia, earning the boy band countless awards! But groundbreaking international achievements are also among Super Junior's long list of accomplishments. Here are a few examples:

• 2012: Super Junior wins "Best Asian Act" (MTV Europe Music Awards) & "Teen Style Icon" (Style Icon Awards).
• 2013: On November 10, Eunhyuk, Kangin, Siwon, and Kyuhyun gave a lecture at Oxford University. The lecture was titled "Super Junior: The Last Man Standing".
• 2014: Mamacita tops Billboard's World Albums Chart! (Previously, "Sexy, Free & Single" had reached #3.)
• 2015: Super Junior wins "International Artists" & "Best Fandom" at the Teen Choice Awards.
• 2018: "Lo Siento" from the album "Replay" enters at #13 on Billboard's Latin Digital Song Sales Chart. This makes them the first K-pop artist to ever land on the chart.

Since 2015, Super Junior also have their own label: label SJ.

SM Entertainment launched the label on November 6, on the occasion of the boy group's tenth anniversary. The new label belongs to SM Entertainment, but acts independently and is exclusively responsible for Super Junior's management, all units and also the members' solo activities. Zhou Mi, who belongs to the Super Junior-M unit but not Super Junior, is also managed by Label SJ.

2019 - Today

Since Kangin left the group in July 2019, Super Junior is officially ten members. However, since Sungmin is only active solo and not as a member of the boy group, all of the following albums involve "only" nine members: Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun.

These nine have released eight albums together from 2019 to date:

• 2019: Time Slip
• 2020: Timeless, I Think U (japanese)
• 2021: The Renaissance, Star (japanese)
• 2022: The Road: Winter for Spring & The Road: Keep On Going & The Road: Celebration
• 2023: The Road (compilation of all The Road albums from 2022)

Almost all of these albums topped the South Korean Circle Album Chart (formerly Gaon) and also reached high chart positions in Japan. In addition, Time Slip won the grand prize at the Seoul Music Awards and Super Junior swept a lot of awards at The Fact Music Awards, among others, in recent years.

Super Junior have won the hearts of countless fans around the world over the years and still defend their place at the top after more than 17 years. Of course, in the meantime, all the members have also built solo careers. They release solo albums, star in series and guest on Variety shows! We are looking forward to many more years with this legendary boy group!

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