Kang Daniel – male idol born in 1996, was a former member of the group Wanna One. With the platform provided by Produce 101Kang Daniel has gained immense fame in the K-pop industry, earning the nickname “Nation’s Center”. At the peak of his career, Kang Daniel even surpassed famous names like Jimin, V and Jungkook (BTS) to top the male idol brand chart.
Considered one of the best solo idols, Kang Daniel’s career began to decline after he publicly revealed his relationship with Jihyo (TWICE). Their relationship didn’t last long and the two eventually went their separate ways, casting uncertainty over his future.
In 2018, Wanna One disbanded and Kang Daniel signed a contract with LM Entertainment. However, shortly after, the male idol had legal disputes with the company. After the controversy, Kang Daniel founded his own company, KONNECT Entertainment, in 2019. He decided to manage his own career. As a 24-year-old CEO, he quickly ran the company for his solo endeavors, attracting considerable attention from fans.
However, the real “shock” that caused Kang Daniel’s disappearance from the entertainment industry came later.
Earlier this year, K-pop fans were “shocked” by the lawsuit involving Kang Daniel’s company. Specifically, Kang Daniel filed a criminal complaint against one of Konnect Entertainment’s major shareholders. The charges included document falsification, embezzlement and breach of trust, causing nearly 14 billion won (about VND260 billion) in damages to the company. The shareholder was accused of using his position to embezzle company funds and forging the company seal to sign a 10 billion won music distribution contract.
This lawsuit caused significant turmoil within the company, leading to Kang Daniel’s decision to shut down KONNECT Entertainment in June 2024.
Recently, Kang Daniel appeared as a guest Do you want some Ramyeon?a show hosted by former Wanna One member Lee Daehwi. This was also part of the promotion of Kang Daniel’s new album, ACT. The reunion of the two members of Wanna One has attracted the attention of fans.
In particular, Kang Daniel said he was very depressed and lost 14 kg following the lawsuit that forced him to close his company: “I lost 14 kg in 5-6 months. At that time, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t do anything because I had problems with my former company. I stayed at home for 3-4 months. The first month I was happy because I didn’t have to go out. But after that I started to feel unwell, I would have gone crazy if I had stayed at home any longer. I felt isolated from society. So I started practicing singing, dancing again, and working on ideas for songs I wanted to release.
After the crisis, Kang Daniel signed an exclusive contract with a new company, ARA, and released the album ACT. Fans hope that “Nation’s Center” can overcome its past and quickly return to the music scene.
