Gunil of Xdinary Heroes Leaves Group, JYP Terminates Contract

On August 13th, JYP Entertainment released an official statement notifying fans that Gunil, 28-year-old group leader and drummer of Korean rock group Xdinary Heroes, has left the group, and his exclusive contract with JYP has been terminated.

The notice, which was posted to the group's social media accounts, reads: "Regarding the recent issue involving member Gunil, the agency deeply recognizes the gravity of the situation and has engaged in thorough discussions with the artist from multiple perspectives. As a result, we have determined that it is no longer feasible to continue team activities together, and we have mutually agreed to terminate the exclusive contract.

Accordingly, we hereby inform you that Gunil has withdrawn from dinary Heroes effective today and has concluded his team activities. We sincerely apologize to fans for causing concern with this sudden news.”

The notice goes on to acknowledge that Xdinary Heroes will continue to promote as a five-member group. Gunil's sudden departure comes after online allegations from a supposed former girlfriend, although the individual’s identity has not been verified by any sources. The individual shared private messages in which Gunil allegedly disparaged fans in audio recordings. However, these claims have not been substantiated as of yet, and neither Gunil nor JYP Entertainment have publicly commented on the specifics of the incident or the validity of these claims. Gunil's exit from the band has caused massive uproar among online communities, many coming to his defense and calling for the label to reconsider his termination. Fans of the group have even pointed out the lack of evidence in the individual's connection to Gunil.

The incident comes after a hard year for K-pop, in which several members of prominent groups have departed from their labels or experienced exclusive contract termination. In 2026 alone, Heeseung of ENYHPEN exited the group in March to pursue solo activities under his new stage name, EVAN. Mark Lee left NCT NCT K-POP GROUP NCT is a South Korean boy group formed by SM Entertainment with a unique multi-unit concept. There are 6 units within NCT; NCT 127, NCT DREAM, NCT WISH, WayV, NCT U, NCT DOJAEJUNG. following the expiration of his contract in April. ZEROBASEONE ZEROBASEONE K-POP GROUP ZEROBASEONE (ZB1) is a 5-member K-pop boy group formed through Boys Planet I. Debuted on 2023-07-10 under WAKEONE. 's initial contract period ran out, resulting in lineup changes and the departure of five members of the group, and Danielle of NewJeans NewJeans K-POP GROUP NewJeans is a five-member girl group known for their fresh Y2K-inspired style, smooth vocals, and viral hits. exited her label after ongoing legal disputes between the members and their company. After such a hard-hitting year for K-pop fans, it comes as no surprise that Gunil's sudden contract termination would ruffle feathers and spark online protest against such an unexpected ending to his group participation.  

Shortly after the statement regarding Gunil, the Summer Sonic festival, where Xdinary Heroes were slated to perform in Tokyo and Osaka, announced the cancellation of their appearance. "We sincerely apologize to those who were looking forward to their performance and kindly ask for your understanding," the festival wrote in a post on their official X account. "Please note that there will be no replacement artist for [their] performance slot." The cancellation comes just one day before the festival was set to kick off on August 14th.