Co-ed K-pop groups have always been rare, but longtime fans may remember Coed School, a ten-member group that debuted in 2010 under Core Contents Media. The group later split into two subunits, SPEED and F-veDolls, before disbanding in 2013. Among its former members was Cha Joo Hyuk, who promoted under the stage name Kangho. He left the group prior to SPEED’s 2012 debut following rumors of sexual assault and later briefly pursued an acting career.
In 2016, Cha faced serious legal issues. He was prosecuted for violating the Narcotics Control Act and sentenced to one year and six months in prison. Authorities charged him with using marijuana, ketamine, and ecstasy multiple times in Korea and the Netherlands, smuggling ketamine, and introducing an acquaintance to a marijuana dealer. Investigators suspected possible addiction but acknowledged efforts toward treatment. He was released on December 14, 2018.
However, just eleven days after his release, Cha was arrested again for disorderly conduct at an apartment building in Seocho after mistaking another unit for his own and resisting police. A subsequent drug test returned positive. He had also previously been charged in 2016 for driving under the influence and injuring three pedestrians.
In recent years, Cha appears to have turned his life around. He has transitioned into working as a DJ and has also become an Apple Certified IT Professional, signaling a new chapter following his troubled past.
