In K-pop, leadership plays a pivotal role in steering a group towards success. While numerous groups have retained their original leaders throughout their journey, a few have opted for leadership transitions, resulting in intriguing shifts in group dynamics and identity.

Let's delve into some K-pop groups that have experienced these leadership changes.

EVERGLOW

On May 25, 2021, two years after their debut, EVERGLOW announced that Sihyeon had taken over as the group's leader, a role that was previously held by E:U.

WINNER

In the survival show "WIN: Who Is Next?" WINNER started as TEAM A, with Mino as their leader. However, he got injured halfway through the show, and Seungyoon, the youngest member, took over as the group's leader.

CLC

In 2016, when the original leader of CLC, Seunghee, stepped aside, Seungyeon took on the role of leading the group. Seunghee revealed in a fan café letter that following the addition of two new members, she decided to leave the leadership position to make CLC more solid.

Cross Gene

Initially, Takuya was the leader of Cross Gene, but after they finished promoting their first album, the leadership was shifted to Shin since Takuya felt burdened as the leader because in terms of age, he was in the middle of the group.

T-ara

T-ara used to have a rotational leader system, allowing each member to take a turn as the leader. When they first debuted in 2009, Jiae was the leader. In 2014, Qri became the leader, and she is the current leader of the group.

VICTON

When Victon's original leader, Seungwoo, joined Produce X 101 and later debuted in X1, Seungsik took over the leadership position. Even after X1 disbanded and Seungwoo returned to the group, Seungsik remained the leader.

BAE173

On April 17, 2022, it was announced that Hangyul had taken over the leadership position of BAE173, which had previously been held by Junseo.

Wonder Girls

Sunye served as the leader of the iconic girl group Wonder Girls until she retired from the entertainment industry in 2015. Following her departure, Yeeun held the role of leader from 2015 to 2017 until the group's disbandment.

ALICE

On April 20, 2022, ALICE, previously known as ELRIS, revealed that Sohee, who had been the leader, was feeling overwhelmed because of her busy, overlapping schedules. Consequently, Chaejeong has been chosen as the new leader.

Cherry Bullet

Following Mirae's departure from Cherry Bullet in 2019, the leadership position was entrusted to Haeyoon, who is the current leader of the group.

BB GIRLS

BB GIRLS, formerly known as Brave Girls, went through several lineup changes. Eunyoung initially led the group until she departed in 2013. Minyoung now serves as the group's leader.

DIA

Before Huihyeon took over the leadership position of DIA in 2016, the former group member, Seunghee, was their original leader.

DKZ

In 2022, DKZ, formerly known as DONGKIZ, underwent a leadership transition, with Hyeong taking over as the new leader following the departure of their former leader, Won Dae.

OnlyOneOf

KB became the new leader of OnlyOneOf after Love, who was the original leader, withdrew from the group due to personal reasons in 2021.

Changing leadership within K-pop groups can be a bold and strategic move, often driven by a desire to strengthen group dynamics or adapt to unexpected situations.