SUPER JUNIOR (KR)

About

Also known as: 슈퍼주니어

Super Junior started life as a 12 piece experiment from SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo man, built around rotating members who would come and go to keep the group young. That idea got dropped once Kyuhyun joined in 2006, and the lineup settled into the ten member core of Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Donghae, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun. Many of them had already worked as actors, MCs, models and radio hosts, which is why the group was pitched as a gateway to stardom across Asia. They broke through internationally with "Sorry, Sorry" in 2009, the title track of their most critically successful album, and went on to be the best selling K pop artist four years running. Over the years they split into smaller units aimed at different audiences, while members branched into hosting and acting. The media nicknamed them the Kings of Hallyu Wave, and the trophy shelf backs it up, with thirteen Mnet Asian Music Awards and nineteen Golden Disc Awards.