Terms · 그룹 vs 솔로

Group vs solo glossary그룹 vs 솔로

A solo debut does not delete the group. Military service, subunit albums, and “OT” counting are where new fans get lost. Definitions below are how fans talk, not legal contracts.

Counting members

• OT7 / OT5 / … — “all together” plus the usual member count (e.g. BTS OT7). Used when someone is absent.
• Sub-unit — official smaller team (see sub-unit guide).
• Project / special unit — short-term, often a survival-show or label mix. Not the same as a permanent subunit.

Solo paths

• Soloist who debuted solo — IU, for example. No group fandom name required.
• Solo album while the group is active — the title track is still filed under the person. Lightstick at a solo concert is usually the group stick unless a solo stick exists.
• Enlistment-era solos — Korean men serve. A solo mixtape during service hiatus is not a breakup announcement.

How KoreaPlus files profiles

Group pages end in -profile. Member pages end in -member. Solo careers that we treat as their own act (Jung Kook, JENNIE, LISA, ROSÉ, G-DRAGON, TAEYEON, IU) have both a member row (if applicable) and a solo profile. We do not rank a soloist “above” their group.

More terms: full glossary, positions.