H.O.T.

H.O.T.
Company type	Boy band
Industry	Music, entertainment
Founded	1996
Founder	Lee Soo-man
Defunct	2001
Fate	Disbanded due to contract disputes
Successor	jtL (formed by some former members)
Headquarters	Seoul, South Korea
Area served	South Korea, China, Taiwan, Asia
Key people	Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta, Lee Jae-won; Lee Soo-man (founder of SM Entertainment)
Products	Music albums, concerts, film appearances
Owner	SM Entertainment (until disbandment)
Number of employees	5 (members) (1996–2001)
Parent	SM Entertainment

H.O.T. (; pronounced "H. O. T.", an abbreviation for Highfive of Teenagers) was a South Korean boy band launched by SM Entertainment in 1996. Recognized as the pioneering K-pop idol group, their successful model established a benchmark for succeeding K-pop performers.^[1]^[2] The ensemble consisted of five artists: Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta, and Lee Jae-won.^[3]

H.O.T. achieved sales exceeding 6.4 million albums within South Korea and gained commercial acclaim in China and Taiwan, emerging as early icons of the Korean Wave across Asia.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name^[4]

The group dissolved in 2001 following disagreements over contracts with SM Entertainment, leading to protests by numerous fans.^[5]^[6] Presently, only Kangta, who holds an executive role at SM Entertainment, remains connected with the company.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

Formation

The group was established in 1996 by record producer Lee Soo-man, founder of SM Entertainment, who surveyed high school students to identify their ideal idol group characteristics. The initial member, Kangta, was discovered at an amusement park. Subsequently, friends and vocal partners Moon Hee-joon and Lee Jae-won joined. After winning a dance competition, Jang Woo-hyuk was added, and finally, Tony Ahn completed the lineup through an audition held in Los Angeles.

1996–1997: Debut and breakthrough

H.O.T. made their first public appearance in August 1996 during the 012 Concert. Their television debut occurred on September 7 with a performance of "Descendants of Warriors" on the variety program Saturday! Saturday Is Fun. Their debut album, We Hate All Kinds of Violence, sold approximately 1.5 million copies. The lead track tackled issues of school bullying, while the lively follow-up single "Candy" significantly increased their appeal among teenage female audiences. That year, H.O.T. received the Best New Artist award at the Golden Disc Awards.

In July 1997, their sophomore album, Wolf and Sheep, achieved sales of one million copies within ten days. This release included singles such as "Wolf and Sheep", "Happiness", and "We Are the Future". Although "Wolf and Sheep" was prohibited from broadcast due to explicit language, the album secured Grand Prizes at both the 1997 Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards. The track "We Are the Future" earned a nomination for International Viewer's Choice at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards. By this time, H.O.T. had become a cultural phenomenon in South Korea. Their inaugural Chinese album launched in 1997 helped maintain sales momentum amid the Asian financial crisis.

1998–1999: Resurrection, controversy and I Yah

September 1998 saw the release of H.O.T.'s third album, Resurrection, which incorporated various genres including hardcore hip hop. By the next year, it had sold over 1.1 million copies. The album received the Grand Prize at the 1998 Seoul Music Awards, sharing honors with Sechs Kies's Special Album. Despite facing plagiarism allegations concerning the lead single "Line Up!"—which was compared to Rage Against the Machine's "Killing In The Name"—the song won the International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Korea at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.

In April 1999, H.O.T. issued a live greatest hits compilation. On June 25, they performed alongside Michael Jackson and girl group S.E.S. at a benefit concert in Seoul organized by Jackson. Their fourth studio album, I Yah!, released on September 15, 1999, featured a title track that addressed the tragic Sealand Youth Training Center fire incident. This album surpassed sales of 1.3 million copies. Soon after its release, H.O.T. became the first K-pop act to hold a concert at Seoul Olympic Stadium, drawing an audience exceeding 40,000 attendees.

2000–2001: Outside Castle, Age of Peace, and the group's dissolution

On February 1, 2000, H.O.T. held their inaugural concert in China, performing before an audience of 13,000 in Beijing. The group rapidly gained immense popularity among Chinese youth, reportedly moving approximately 400,000 album units by January of that year. This success motivated SM Entertainment along with other Korean entertainment firms to pursue expansion into the Chinese market. In September 2000, H.O.T. released their fifth studio album, Outside Castle. During this period, they also starred in the science fiction film Age of Peace, where they played soccer players set in a futuristic world; however, the film failed to achieve commercial success.

In May 2001, H.O.T. officially declared their disbandment at a press conference held in Seoul. Members An, Lee, and Jang attributed their departure to unresolved contractual disagreements with S.M. Entertainment. Following the announcement, numerous fans gathered outside S.M. Entertainment's headquarters in protest, with some obstructing traffic and causing property damage as a reaction to what they perceived as unjust treatment. Reports suggested the dispute largely involved compensation issues, with members receiving roughly $10,000 USD for every million albums sold.

After disbanding, Kangta and Moon signed profitable solo contracts under S.M. Entertainment. Meanwhile, An, Lee, and Jang established jtL through Yejeon Media and enjoyed moderate achievements before disbanding in 2005. Since then, all five former members have pursued individual careers and continue to be active within the entertainment sector.

2018–present: Reunion and subsequent activities

In February 2018, H.O.T. reunited as a full group on the South Korean variety program Infinite Challenge during the "Saturday, Saturday is for Singers" () special segment. This marked their first complete group appearance since 2003. The segment is recognized for reviving acts from the 1990s and had previously facilitated the reunion of Sechs Kies.

Between their disbandment and reunion, a comeback was frequently speculated upon. Following successful reunions of first-generation groups g.o.d and Fly to the Sky in 2014, a Naver survey identified H.O.T as the most desired first-generation idol group for a comeback. In 2016, it was reported that members met with Lee Soo-man to discuss a potential 20th-anniversary reunion; however, this plan did not come to fruition.

On August 31, 2018, H.O.T. announced an independent reunion concert titled 'Forever [Highfive Of Teenagers],' set to take place on October 13–14 at Seoul Olympic Main Stadium with an anticipated audience of 100,000.

Following this event, they conducted the "2019 High-five Of Teenagers" concert at Gocheok Sky Dome from September 20 to 22, 2019.

After a six-year break from live performances, H.O.T. appeared at the 2025 Hanteo Music Festival on November 22 and 23, reaffirming their sustained relevance in the music industry.

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales
Title	Album details	KOR	Sales
We Hate All Kinds of Violence	Released: September 7, 1996 Label: SM Entertainment Format: CD, cassette, digital download	—	KOR: 1,500,000
Wolf and Sheep	Released: July 5, 1997 Label: SM Entertainment Format: CD, cassette, digital download	—	KOR: 1,500,000
Resurrection	Released: September 24, 1998 Label: SM Entertainment Format: CD, cassette, digital download	1	KOR: 1,103,439
I Yah!	Released: September 15, 1999 Label: SM Entertainment Format: CD, cassette, digital download	2	KOR: 1,383,985
Outside Castle	Released: September 29, 2000 Label: SM Entertainment Format: CD, cassette, digital download	1	KOR: 879,613 CHN: 50,000Template:Fix/category^{[citation needed]}

Compilation albums

Title	Album information	Highest chart rankings		Sales figures
Title	Album information	KOR	TWN Int.	Sales figures
H.O.T. 史上最惡少年	Release date: January 26, 1999 (TWN) Record label: Rock Records Available formats: CD, digital download	—	7
Age of Peace: The Original Soundtrack	Released on July 16, 2000 (KOR) Issued by: SM Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download	39	—	KOR sales: 231,223

Live albums

Title	Album information	Highest chart rankings		Sales figures
Title	Album information	KOR	TWN Int.	Sales figures
Hi-Five of Teenagers Live Concert	Release date: April 12, 1999 Label: SM Entertainment Formats available: CD, cassette, digital download	3	5	KOR sales: 175,314
99 Live in Seoul	Released on January 6, 2000 Record company: SM Entertainment Available formats: CD, cassette, digital download	4	—	KOR sales: 110,542
H.O.T. Forever	Release date: April 27, 2001 Issuer: SM Entertainment Formats offered: CD, cassette, digital download	6	—	KOR sales: 138,616

Singles

Title	Year issued	Corresponding album
"Warrior's Descendant" (전사의 후예 (Template:Korean))	1996	We Hate All Kinds of Violence
"Candy"	1996	We Hate All Kinds of Violence
"Wolf and Sheep" (늑대와 양)	1997	Wolf and Sheep
"Full of Happiness" (Template:Korean)
"We Are the Future"
"Line Up!" (열맞춰!)	1998	Resurrection
"Hope" (빛)	1998	Resurrection
"I Yah!" (아이야!)	1999	I Yah!
"Git It Up" (Template:Korean)
"It's Been Raining Since You Left Me" (Template:Korean)
"Outside Castle"	2000	Outside Castle
"We Can Do It" (그래! 그렇게!)
"A Song For Lady" (For Template:Korean)
Chart rankings for singles are unavailable.

Guest album contributions

Christmas In SMTOWN (1999)
Christmas Winter Vacation in SMTown.com (2000)
Christmas Winter Vacation in SMTown.com - Angel Eyes (2001)

Film appearances

Age of Peace (2000)

Touring concerts

H.O.T. The 1st Concert (1998)
H.O.T. USA Live Tour (1998)
H.O.T. The 2nd Concert (1999)

Additional concerts

'99 Live In Seoul
Date	City	Country	Venue	Audience Size
September 18, 1999	Seoul	South Korea	Seoul Olympic Stadium	40,000

2000 H.O.T. Live Concert In Beijing
Date	City	Country	Venue	Audience Size
February 1, 2000	Beijing	China	Workers Indoor Arena	13,000

2001 H.O.T. Live Concert – H.O.T. Forever
Date	City	Country	Venue	Audience Size
February 27, 2001	Seoul	South Korea	Seoul Olympic Stadium	45,000

2018 Forever [High-five of Teenagers] Concert
Date	City	Country	Venue	Audience Size
October 13, 2018	Seoul	South Korea	Seoul Olympic Stadium	100,000
October 14, 2018	Seoul	South Korea	Seoul Olympic Stadium	100,000

2019 [High-five of Teenagers] Next Message Concert
Date	City	Country	Venue	Audience Size
September 20, 2019	Seoul	South Korea	Gocheok Sky Dome	60,000
September 21, 2019
September 22, 2019

Accolades

Award event, year, category, nominee/work, and outcome
Award event	Year	Category	Nominee / work	Outcome
Golden Disc Awards	1996	Best New Artist	"Candy"	Template:Won
	1997	Album of the Year (Daesang)	Wolf and Sheep	Template:Won
	1997	Main Prize (Bonsang)	Wolf and Sheep	Template:Won
	1998		Resurrection	Template:Won
	1999		I Yah!	Template:Won
KBS Music Awards	1998	Grand Prize (Daesang)	"Hope"	Template:Won
KBS Music Awards	1998	Singer of the Year (Bonsang)	H.O.T.	Template:Won
KMTV Music Awards	1997	Grand Prize (Daesang)	H.O.T.	Template:Won
		ARS Most Popular Artist		Template:Won
		Popular Singer Award (Bonsang)		Template:Won
	1998	Grand Prize (Daesang)		Template:Won
		ARS Most Popular Artist		Template:Won
		Popular Singer Award (Bonsang)		Template:Won
	1999	ARS Most Popular Artist		Template:Won
		Popular Singer Award (Bonsang)		Template:Won
		Best Male Dancer		Template:Won
	2000	Main Prize (Bonsang)		Template:Won
	2000	Netizen Popularity Award		Template:Won
Korea Entertainment Arts Awards	1999	Best Youth Singer	H.O.T.	Template:Won
MBC Gayo Daejejeon	1997	Best Popular Song	"Happiness"	Template:Won
	1998	Best Popular Song	"Hope"	"Template:Won"
	1998	Mnet Asian Music Awards	min1999	"Best Popular Music Video (Daesang)"	"I Yah!"	"Template:Won"
	"Best Group"			"I Yah!"	"Template:Won"
2000 Mnet Music Video Festival	"Outside Castle"			"Template:Won"
2000 Mnet Music Video Festival	2008 Mnet Asian Music Awards		"10th Anniversary Remember Award"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
MTV Video Music Awards	"1998"		"International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Asia"	"We Are the Future"	"Template:Nom"
MTV Video Music Awards	"1999"		"International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Korea"	"Line Up!"	"Template:Won"
SBS Gayo Daejeon	"1996"		"Rookie Award"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"1997"	"Grand Prize (Daesang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"Main Prize (Bonsang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"1998"	"Grand Prize (Daesang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"Main Prize (Bonsang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
Seoul Music Awards	"1997"	"Grand Prize (Daesang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"Main Prize (Bonsang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"1998"	"Grand Prize (Daesang)"	"H.O.T. (shared with Sechs Kies)"	"Template:Won"
	"Main Prize (Bonsang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"
	"1999"	"Main Prize (Bonsang)"	"H.O.T."	"Template:Won"

Listicles

Publisher, year, listicle title, and ranking
Publisher	Year	Listicle Title	Ranking	Source
The Dong-a Ilbo	2016	Top Male Artists as Judged by Experts	2nd place
Mnet	2013	Legend 100 Artists	43rd position

External links

Official site (archived July 16, 2011)

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