K-pop idols are finding their own voices via solo careers

As K-pop’s summer release season continues, another trend has emerged alongside the industry’s biggest group releases: more established group members are stepping back into the spotlight as solo artists. From Apink’s Jung Eun-ji, Day6’s Young K and Oh My Girl’s Mimi, as well as Shinee’s Taemin and Minho and Exo’s D.O., a growing number of established idols are using solo projects to showcase artistic identities that differ from the images they have cultivated within their groups. Among such arti