JtL


JTL was a South Korean dance music group, consisting of the former H.O.T. members who left SM Entertainment – Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn and Lee Jae-won.

History

All three members of jtL had first come together as members of the South Korean boy band H.O.T., which debuted in 1996 and achieved nationwide fame, becoming known as the first idol group and selling 6.4 million records in South Korea during their career. Despite the group's popularity, Woohyuk, Jaewon, and Tony entered disputes with their label, SM Entertainment, regarding the group membrs pay, which according to their contract was about $10,000 USD for every 1 million albums they sold. Unable to agree to a new contract, Woohyuk, Jaewon, and Tony formally announced that they had signed with Yejeon Media on May 14, and that H.O.T. would be disbanding, resulting in protests from fans of the group.
Following H.O.T.'s disbandment, it was announced on December 18, 2001, that the three would be resuming their activities as a group called jtL, with plans for a new album to be released on the 21st, followed by large scale promotions beginning in January 2002. The group's debut album, Enter the Dragon, proved to be incredibly popular, selling over 530,000 copies during the first month on the market. However, the group's music video and singles were banned from various Korean entertainment broadcasts which drew angry reactions from the group's fans, some of whom egged SM Entertainment's main building in Seoul, with many reports suggesting SM CEO Lee Soo-man was actively attempting to blacklist the group. The members of the group also had strained relationships between Kangta and Moon Hee-jun after the two chose to stay with SM Entertainment as solo artists. However, after appearances on 'X-Man', it appears that Tony and Kangta are on good terms the same goes for Moon Hee Jun and Jang Woo Hyuk who both appeared on variety show Heroine.
In December 2002, jtL returned with a special album, Love Story, featuring remixes of songs from their first album and five new songs. The group reportedly refrained from broadcast promotions Love Story in preparation for their second album, which was targeting a March or April 2003 release.
In 2003 the group won the "favorite artist of Korea" award at the MTV Asia Awards, where they performed alongside artists such as Avril Lavigne and Linkin Park.
On September 6, 2004, JTL performed on the closing stage of the Shanghai International Circuit Opening Ceremony, reportedly moved to the closing spot as a result of the group's growing popularity in China. The group's final activity was on June 19, 2005, at the All For One In Asia - Dokdo Love Concert, where they performed "A Better Day", "Enter the Dragon", and "Without Your Love". While the group never formally disbanded, member Woohyuk stated in a 2011 interview that the group "quietly disappeared" and that the members believed that an H.O.T. reunion would be more preferable.