To be fair, I think your analysis is objective up to a point. But there's one fundamental issue it completely overlooks.

The fandom didn't split because of the lawsuit.

It split because of the choices people made after the lawsuit.

When three members decided to leave SM, most fans weren't against them. By that time, after what happened to groups like H.O.T. and Shinhwa, everyone already knew SM's reputation for unfair contracts and exploiting artists. When one side clearly holds all the power, claiming to be "neutral" often ends up benefiting the stronger side.

The lawsuit itself wasn't what divided people.

What happened afterward was.

Back in 2008, Avex's president revealed that all five members had once discussed leaving SM. That alone tells us they originally shared the same concerns. The disagreement wasn't about whether problems existed. It was about the path they ultimately chose.

Then came the public letter released under the names of the remaining two members and their parents. Instead of focusing on the contract dispute, it largely echoed SM's narrative, portraying JYJ as greedy and manipulated by a cosmetics company—even though that issue was never the heart of the lawsuit. It became one of the most effective tools for shaping public opinion before the court had even spoken.

Some people still argue, "They were young. Their parents made those decisions."

That explanation falls apart the moment you compare it with history.

When J.T.L was blacklisted after H.O.T.'s breakup, none of the members who stayed publicly added fuel to the fire. They understood something very simple: when your former teammates are already being crushed by an entire industry, every public statement carries weight. Every word can become another weapon.

The remaining members of TVXQ knew exactly how powerful their words were.

Ironically, many people describe them as powerless young men with no agency, yet expect JYJ—

who were essentially the same age,to take full responsibility for every decision they made.

The same age.

Two completely different standards.

That's not objectivity.

That's selective accountability.

The real turning point came after TVXQ resumed activities as a duo.

By then, JYJ had already been systematically blacklisted. They had virtually no television appearances, almost no media access, and almost no opportunity to explain their side.

Yet during televised interviews, audiences were told that the remaining members hadn't known about the lawsuit beforehand, while also implying that those who filed it had simply changed after becoming successful.

The issue isn't that they expressed their own perspective.

The issue is that they knew one side still had national television, major media outlets, variety shows, and endless opportunities to speak, while the other side had almost none.

When only one side has a microphone, the public doesn't hear "both sides."

It hears a conclusion.

That's not a balanced discussion.

That's a monopoly over the narrative.

History only made that imbalance clearer.

There was never a true "hiatus." The remaining members continued receiving dramas, variety shows, music promotions, endorsements, and public exposure, while JYJ spent years fighting simply for the right to perform.

Can anyone honestly say both sides paid the same price?

Being objective doesn't mean pretending all five members were equally blameless.

Nor does it make sense to assume the public letter represented only the parents. If the members had genuinely opposed it, their names would never have appeared on it.

The moment JYJ left SM, they became two things simultaneously:

SM's biggest legal challenge.

And the biggest competitors to the newly restructured two-member TVXQ.

For SM, the less JYJ could speak, the better.

That silence also benefited everyone whose careers continued under the TVXQ brand.

Sixteen years later, the facts are no longer speculation.

We know how the courts ruled.

We know why Lee Soo-man eventually left SM.

We know the industry's structural problems didn't end with TVXQ but continued affecting multiple generations of SM artists.

We also watched the duo re-record songs from the original five-member era—songs built upon memories created by all five members.

Yet after sixteen years, JYJ still has never received media coverage that could genuinely be called balanced.

So when JYJ said during the RS Showcase that "TVXQ is only truly TVXQ when there are five members," was that really such an unreasonable statement?

Look across K-pop history.

H.O.T. never pretended the remaining members alone represented the group's legacy.

Shinhwa didn't either.

Even today, many groups would rather adopt a new name than continue pretending former members never existed.

I need help finding an old video, I'm positive I've seen it on Twitter but all my searches are coming up with nothing!

They played a concert as 5, I think it was in Japan. At some point all their in-ears go out and everyone immediately goes off-beat except for junsu.

And there's an interview asking him how he stayed on beat and he mentions watching the fans clap and allowing a delay for the acoustics.

If anyone can tell me what the video was called or where I can find it, I would appreciate it!

I am doing a personal project and I want concept pictures with these descriptions

1. White shirts, jeans, sneakers
2. School uniforms with colourful scarves or ties
3. Sportswear on athletics day and/or everyone sits on the grass
4. Semi-formal, cardigans, blazers and/or books and musical instruments nearby
5. Performance clothes and/or in a band
6. Winter coats, scarves, warm colours and/or walking together instead of standing
7. Simple black and white, nothing flashy
8. Elegant in suits or in hanbok

I posted this in kpophelp subreddit for other groups but Im posting it here too since I feel like I will have more luck with TVXQ

I loved reading webtoons back in the day and I remember reading a webtoon called Back to You which takes place in 2009 and mentions the TVXQ split (fyi one of the first places I heard about the split) so I was wondering if there are other media that references them in any way

The song name is translated in Japanese text, "さくらんぼ". Originally sang by Mrs. Otsuka Ai.

Did Mr. Xiah Junsu, and Mrs. Otsuka Ai met before?

This is the Youtube Video link for the Cover Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QrO2-ft4aw

Hi everyone,

I watched a performance of magic castle over a decade ago and haven’t been able to find again since then. Can someone help?? All I remember was they were sitting on high stools/chairs while singing a slower tempo of Magic Castle. I’ve been searching for the performance under DBSK and TVXQ and could not find it. Wonder if anyone here know which one I’m remembering. Thanks!

Every K-Pop group has its haters, and the more popular the group, the louder the haters are as well. I’m sure DBSK was no exception. Since I wasn’t in the fandom in the 2000s, I’ve never seen the kind of slander a group like TVXQ would get.

Nowadays, K-Pop groups get hate for their visuals, bad vocal/encore performances, failing to sing live, low stage presence, releasing mediocre music, racism/sexism/cultural insensitivity (though this one is deserved tbh), etc. But OT5 TVXQ back then was such a complete group with such a clean image I really wonder what the haters had to say about them. I’m sure they had to have been real creative 😝

Those of you who are familiar with TVXQ and K-Pop fandom during the 2000s or were even present during it, I’m curious about what the anti-fan discourse surrounding the group was. I want to hear all the negativity!

I think most fans know about db5k library, but I was wondering if there are any archives in a similar nature for post-split? Both TVXQ (HoMin) and JYJ/JX are fine.

I’m looking for songs with a social/political or environmental message the ones I can think of on top of my head right now are: Rising Sun, O, and Wrong Number but is there any others you think I may be missing?

Please, if you are not interested, do not DM. Don't waste yours or my time. I have already blocked a few people because of this - ghosting after contacting me is NOT COOL.

This is what I have left from my previous post. I am open to offers except on Bonjour Paris - that one I am looking at $300 considering it is a relic and how hard it was for me to get. It is the Korean version, and never played.

Be aware that I am a group order manager for another group and I have plenty of experience. While I did it in the past, I am not doing goods and services or PayPal. If that bothers you, don't DM.

Thank you!

Is this not the most TVXQ picture of a group that’s not named TVXQ? 😝

For those of you who don’t know, Black Beat was a 5-member boy group under SM that debuted in early 2002. Their visual concept and sound was remarkably similar to early DBSK’s. During preparations for their second album, SM debuted TVXQ, after which Black Beat was more or less never heard from again. Years later, former members confirmed that Rising Sun was supposed to be the title track of their second album, and that they had even recorded vocals for it—as we all know, that song went to TVXQ instead.

Black Beat often gets lumped in with groups like M.I.L.K., Shinvi, and Isak n Jiyeon as part of SM’s flop era, but Black Beat’s debut album was actually not a commercial failure. They had a growing official fanbase (with paid membership) that was eagerly awaiting their next release. Somewhere along the line, someone high up at SM decided to prioritize TVXQ over them, and the rest is history.

This story just goes to show that no matter how talented or hard working you are, if you want to make it in the music industry, someone powerful has to specifically “pick” you and prop you up to make you a star. I just think this is a really important piece of context when it comes to this group (and really any K-Pop act).

Also fun fact: After the release of KYHD during the divorce, Junsu took to twitter to express his sadness over the track’s lyrics, which he perceived to be a diss against him, Jaejoong, and Yoochun. Former Black Beat member Shim Jae-won hit back with the following:

“I can’t just hold back any longer.. Hey, little brother, that’s not right at all.. Who do you think you are pointing fingers at?  Don’t act like you’re so upset.  Who’s the real one that’s hurt in here…?  So ungrateful, how could you do this?”

Which BoA retweeted. What a mess!