Kangta says H.O.T. broke up over "small misunderstanding"

Korean singer Kangta confessed that the real reason behind the break-up of H.O.T., one of hottest boy bands during the late 1990s, was over a "small misunderstanding."

During a guest appearance on MBC celebrity talk show "Kneedrop Guru," which aired Wednesday evening, the singer spoke about why he and his bandmates called it quits in 2001.

"H.O.T. broke up over a small misunderstanding," the singer said on the show. "At the time, Moon Hee-joon and I signed the contract at a later time [than other three members.] I think the parents of the remaining three members thought that there could be things they do not know about. It was really a minor misunderstanding.. But we were so young and those misunderstanding made us close our hearts."

Kangta explained that the only reason Moon and he signed the contract with agency SM Entertainment at a later time was because they were the last two members to originally join the group.

About a year after the group split, the members got together and worked out their misunderstandings "in just two words," the singer added.

After mentioning how the members of boy band Shinhwa fought like cats and dogs and have still managed to stay together, Kangta said he wonders if it would have been better for him and his groupmates to have fought when they had complaints or misunderstandings.

He also said that he "wants to reunite with members as H.O.T." and give fans something to remember by performing and releasing albums as a group.

The singer had recently made the same remark at a press conference in China, which drew talks of a possible reunion. But an official at SM explained that Kangta only said so because H.O.T. bandmates Tony An and Lee Jae-won will be discharged from the Korean military next year and that "nothing has been set."

Kangta, whose real name is Ahn Chil-hyun, debuted in 1996 as the lead singer of five-member boy band H.O.T., the first idol group creation by major talent house SM Entertainment.

H.O.T., which stands for 'High-five Of Teenagers,' became one of the most popular K-pop acts in Korea and throughout Asia as well. They released five studio albums, two live albums and two greatest hits records before disbanding in 2001.

Kangta embarked on a solo career after the group broke up, releasing several solo albums and collaborating with other singers including a pop duo act with popular Taiwanese singer Vanessa Wu in 2006.

He will be giving a concert in China on July 24 and donating one million Yuan to the Chinese government for charity.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@