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This week on Buzzfeed Unsolved, we cover the mysterious disappearance of the Saja Boys.
SHANE:
The who?
RYAN:
The Saja Boys. You never heard of them?
SHANE:
Nope.
On June 4, 2025, at precisely noon, a previously unknown idol group named Saja Boys appeared in Myeongdong Square with their debut single “Soda Pop.” The song immediately went viral, taking over the internet—and the world—by storm. Within just two weeks, the group received unprecedented popularity, and was even nominated for the Idol Awards.
SHANE:
Wait, really? From just one song?
RYAN:
Yeah, have you heard it? It's quite catchy. "You’re my soda pop~ My little soda pop~"
SHANE:
What are you doing with your shoulders—stop that—you look like (wheeze) you look like a crazed bobblehead.
RYAN:
What, you really never heard of it?
SHANE:
No—
RYAN:
(hums)
SHANE:
Stop it (wheeze) can we move on? You're going to get the video flagged.
RYAN:
(wheeze) okay, yeah, moving on.
At the awards, just before the Saja Boys’ scheduled performance, a dramatic in-fight erupted between the members. Witnesses claim yelling, mic throws, and an alleged hair tugging. This setback allowed another idol group, HUNTR/X to take the stage in their place.
The twist? The Saja Boys still won the award by default when HUNTR/X forfeited mid-performance.
SHANE:
How do you forfeit during your performance?
RYAN:
Oh, we’ll get there—it gets weirder.
To celebrate, Saja Boys hosted a free impromptu concert where they performed a new single. After that night, however, the Boys vanished, never to be seen again.
RYAN:
(beat) what?
SHANE:
You’re not going to do a little performance? That little chorus is stuck in my head now, you know.
RYAN:
(wheeze) I mean, I would, but—there’s no recording of the song.
SHANE:
I—what? Really? No one has a recording of the song?
RYAN:
Not a one. There’s recreations from memory—but there’s so many discrepancies from different sources that no one really knows which one’s the closest.
SHANE:
See, now that’s weirder than their disappearance. Speaking of which: really? “Never to be seen again?” It’s 2025, they couldn’t be tracked?
RYAN:
That’s the thing—besides the official Saja Boys accounts, there was nothing on the members. No personal social media, no real names. All we know are their stage names: Jinu Saja, Abby Saja, Romance Saja, Mystery Saja, and Baby Saja.
SHANE:
I’m sensing a theme here. Also... “Abby?”
RYAN:
Yeah—he had abs and exclusively wore shirts three sizes too small.
SHANE:
I... okay.
And now, we get into the theories. One of the most popular theories is abduction, an unfortunate end to our rising stars. While there are many who fit the profile, the most prominent suspect has been Lee Myung-hee, better known among fans and K-pop forums as “Tiger Auntie,” a former beauty salon owner with a long-standing obsession with idol groups, particularly boybands.
She first made headlines back in 2016 when she camped outside the hotel of the now-disbanded group FireHeart99 for three days straight, claiming she could “feel their aura weakening” and needed to “recharge them with her devotion.”
SHANE:
Oh, so it’s definitely her.
RYAN:
Oh, I’m just getting started, buddy.
SHANE:
Oh no.
RYAN:
Oh, yes.
Tiger Auntie would continue to be involved in boyband-related incidents including in 2019, when she was caught rummaging through trash outside the dorm of boy group VenomNom, claiming she was looking for “recyclables of sentimental value.” In 2021, she snuck into a fan-signing event for Star7 disguised as a makeup artist and attempted to cut a lock of the leader’s hair “for protection purposes.”
SHANE:
So she’s in jail now, right? Right?
RYAN:
She does a lot of community service.
SHANE:
Of course she does.
Tiger Auntie’s first known interaction with the Saja Boys occurred during their debut, where she was seen attempting to sprint at them during their performance but was quickly rebuffed. Since then, she was reportedly seen at every single public appearance, lurking near staff entrances and hovering by backstage trash cans. Authorities interviewed her after the group’s disappearance, with reports describing her as “persistent, intense, and strangely fascinating.” No evidence was ever found directly linking her to the case.
SHANE:
Talk about dedication. And creepy.
RYAN:
I bet she has a shrine of them in her basement.
SHANE:
(wheeze) a red flag and a crime scene. Classic Tiger Auntie.
RYAN:
(wheeze) classic Tiger Auntie!
Theory no. 2 is more grounded and mundane. Simply put, the fight that had occurred during the Idol Awards caused an irreparable rift between the members, leading the group to quietly break up after their celebration show.
SHANE:
That’s kind of anticlimactic—you’d think if that was the case they’d still do other stuff.
RYAN:
Well here’s the thing: even though Saja Boys got big very fast, they likely still didn’t have enough power to escape their contracts. K-pop idol contracts are notoriously strict—most trainees go into massive debt just to debut, and even if you hit it big, the profits usually go back to the company first.
SHANE:
Wait, so you can be famous and broke?
RYAN:
Absolutely. A lot of idols work for years before they see any real income. And if they want out of a contract early, they have to pay enormous penalties. So even if they wanted to go solo after breaking up, their contracts might have prohibited them. Or they simply couldn’t afford the fines.
SHANE:
So the world’s hottest boy band just... rage quit and vanished into financial ruin?
RYAN:
That’s the theory. They blew up, imploded, and vanished under the weight of the system.
SHANE:
What a bummer—are the rest of the theories gonna be this depressing?
RYAN:
(smiling)
SHANE:
Well, that’s not ominous at all...
And here we are, at Theory no. 3, by far the most popular theory out there: it was a HUNTR/X publicity stunt—an elaborate two-week performance all to dramatically reveal HUNTR/X’s leader, Rumi’s, real self.
SHANE:
I—what? Her real self?
RYAN:
Yeah. Here look, she has these marks on her arms, see?
SHANE:
They look kind of dope.
RYAN:
Right? But it’s not exactly what you expect a K-pop idol to have—they’re usually known to have flawless skin—which makes sense why she hid them for so long.
SHANE:
So how do the Saja Boys fit into all of this?
RYAN:
I’m getting to that.
Keen-eyed netizens and internet sleuths alike have noticed that HUNTR/X seems to always be involved with them—even showing up at Saja Boys’ variety show appearance as guests on the night of their afternoon debut, something the staff of the show said was not planned or on the schedule. Why would such a big group appear to support an unknown group—a bunch of nobodies?
HUNTR/X had never participated with other groups before, their schedules were always erratic and unpredictable, but somehow they always managed to show up to the majority of Saja Boys’ public appearances in the two weeks they were active.
It was as if they were watching—monitoring the Boys to make sure they didn’t do anything wrong, that they were always in line... always shadowing them, always near...
(Music abruptly stops)
SHANE:
Or—stay with me here—they worked in the same industry and were at the same events by coincidence.
RYAN:
Okay, but explain this: Saja Boys just so happened to debut right after a canceled performance of HUNTR/X’s new single. The backlash caused a major vacuum perfect for Saja Boys to swoop in and fill.
SHANE:
I can explain it easily: another coincidence.
RYAN:
Aw, come on, really?
SHANE:
Really. New songs are released all the time.
RYAN:
Well, what if I told you that HUNTR/X was actually in their debut crowd—watching in disguise? One fan even swears HUNTR/X ruined her corn dog during their performance.
SHANE:
(beat) wait—what?
RYAN:
Yep.
SHANE:
...Now why would they do that?
RYAN:
Who knows, honestly. Maybe the Boys did something out of line, and they were rectifying that—with extreme prejudice.
SHANE:
(wheeze)
RYAN:
According to the witness, Saja Jinu helped her squeeze mustard on her corn dog. Moments later, three individuals matching HUNTR/X’s height and builds showed up to stomp on it.
SHANE:
Publicly?
RYAN:
Well, they were in disguises but the witness claimed it was them.
SHANE:
Right...
At the Idol Awards Show, Saja Boys started a fight backstage just before their performance—causing chaos. This cleared the path for HUNTR/X to take the stage early. Their new song, “Takedown,” wasn’t just for entertainment—it was a statement. During the performance, Rumi was forced to reveal long-concealed scars on her arms, a vulnerable moment many took as a real-time breakup at the time.
So then HUNTR/X “forfeited,” making Saja Boys the default winners. And as we all know, Saja used that virality of their victory to perform an impromptu concert to celebrate.
According to witnesses, the two groups met again—on stage—in a full performance battle with the works, full choreo, effects and a lot of extras. Saja Boys took on the symbolic role of the oppressive forces that kept Rumi from embracing herself, while HUNTR/X, now reunited, performed as her reclaimed strength. It ended with Rumi stepping forward, arms uncovered, proud and unashamed, embracing her friends and looking forward to a new future.
SHANE:
Wait, when did HUNTR/X get back together? Weren’t they—didn’t they kick her out because of her scars?
RYAN:
Well, remember, the break up never happened—they were acting out Rumi’s inner fears and insecurities about how people would react to her scars.
SHANE:
Wait—so the whole group just decided to emotionally roleplay her trauma on national television?
RYAN:
It was an art piece, Shane.
SHANE:
And the Saja Boys were just playing villains for her personal character development?
RYAN:
Yes, they played the roles of what Rumi was afraid of—judgment, fear, rejection.
SHANE:
So that was it? That’s what they were there for? What happened to them?
RYAN:
The theory suggests they agreed to be the antagonists of that story, and that was their final act. Once it was complete... they stepped away from the spotlight entirely.
SHANE:
Okay, that’s kind of poetic. Still weird. (beat) Oh my god... (wheeze) imagine—imagine being the other groups that night.
RYAN:
And the last two weeks.
SHANE:
And the last two weeks! Everyone's been obsessed with this band for two weeks, and turns out they’re not even real. I’d be pissed to learn I was shafted for an award show by a publicity stunt that showed up out of the blue.
RYAN:
(wheeze) out of the pink, actually—because they debuted in a puff of pink smoke.
SHANE:
(beat) no.
RYAN:
No?
SHANE:
Just—just move on to the next theory.
And now here’s where we get supernatural—
SHANE:
Oh boy, here we go.
RYAN:
You said you wanted me to move onto the next theory.
SHANE:
I know...
A growing theory believes Saja Boys weren’t human at all—but that they were literal demons sent to harvest the souls of their fans—
SHANE:
Demons?!
RYAN:
Glad to see you’re as enthusiastic about this theory as I am.
SHANE:
“Enthusiastic” is not the word I’d be using to describe what I’m feeling right now, no.
RYAN:
You have to admit—it is compelling.
SHANE:
Again, not the word I would use.
RYAN:
Like the signs were all there: “You’re my soda pop/Gotta drink every drop.”
SHANE:
What?
RYAN:
It’s in their song! We’re their little soda pops—because they want to drink us (our souls) up. (beat) “Soda Pop” or “Soul-da Pop,” am I right?
SHANE:
(whispering) this is my life now...
RYAN:
What?
SHANE:
What?
Which lead us to the true identities of the other group, HUNTR/X. What if instead of being the orchestrators of Saja Boys, they were actually a trio of undercover demon hunters who took it upon themselves to stop them—that’s why they were always there, to prevent Saja Boys from doing anything to the audience.
SHANE:
What.
RYAN:
Yup.
SHANE:
J-just because they have “hunt” in their name? Isn’t that a little too on the nose?
RYAN:
Well what better way to hide but in plain sight? They say write what you know, right? Well, a lot of their songs focus on being hunters and themes like defeating the night.
SHANE:
That can mean a lot of things.
RYAN:
Or it can mean what it says on the tin—that these girls are bonafide demon hunters. Which means their rivalry with Saja Boys wasn’t simply chart competition—it was actual warfare for the safety of humanity. “Takedown” was actually a warning to all of us. Listen to the lyrics:
'Cause I see your real face and it's ugly as sin
Time to put you in your place 'cause you're rotten within
When your patterns start to show
It makes the hatred wanna grow outta my veins
SHANE:
Very metal for a pop group. But I thought the song was about Rumi.
RYAN:
It should have been—but the demons are shapeshifters—
SHANE:
Mhmm, mhmm, of course. We’re all aware of the demonic K-pop shapeshifters—
RYAN:
—and mid-performance, they replaced HUNTR/X’s other two members—Zoey and Mira—and twisted the meaning of the song. What we thought was a performance to reveal a vulnerability was actually a nefarious plot to instigate discourse in the group.
SHANE:
What? How?
RYAN:
So remember how Rumi revealed scars on her arms that night? Demonologists, however, have noted that the patterns of her scars match documented marks found on demonic entities.
SHANE:
What? Like a demonic birthmark?
RYAN:
Yeah, I guess you can call it that.
SHANE:
So one of the demon hunters... is also a demon? So we’ve got a K-pop Van Helsing situation going on.
RYAN:
Exactly. And if we assume Rumi wasn’t just acting, the look of genuine fear on her face here suggests she’s been keeping them a secret from her fellow hunters. And what would that cause? A fallout of the demon hunter group, which would be prime time for Saja Boys to do their big performance, raking in all the souls.
SHANE:
And what is the—uh, evidence that Saja Boys are demons in the first place?
RYAN:
Look at this clip from their debut. See those swirling marks that flash across their neck and arms when the sun hits them at just the right angle? Now look at the marks Rumi kept hidden on her arms—identical aren’t they? Now compare them to this painting depicting a Korean demon from the 17th-century.
SHANE:
And do you happen to see these patterns on the Saja Boys outside of this performance?
RYAN:
Well, no, but—
SHANE:
Then how do you know it’s not special effects? Look—look at that! They turned the buildings and everyone’s clothing pastel. With technology like that, it’s not hard to imagine they made their skin swirly for dramatic effect—K-pop companies have budgets the GDP of small nations.
RYAN:
That’s the thing—stage engineers swear there were no projection rigs capable of that effect. And at their final performance, witnesses claimed there was this giant fire column!
SHANE:
Wait... witnesses? There’s no footage?
RYAN:
Nope.
SHANE:
I was wondering about that. You had footage of like, everything so far but the final Saja performance.
RYAN:
It’s all word of mouth of what happened. Despite many accounts of the fire column, investigators found zero pyrotechnic equipment afterward. Nada. Witnesses said the flames even began to speak. Demonologists identify the entity as Gwi-Ma, the Demon King—who supposedly arrived to feast on the audience.
SHANE:
Right—so a ten-story flaming demon shows up and nobody whips out a phone?
RYAN:
Strange, isn’t it? It’s as if they were compelled to be there and put into a trance to just... watch. Memories of the performance were sparse too—with folks only really recalling the last few minutes of the liveshow, with HUNTR/X’s reunion and exorcism of Saja Boys.
SHANE:
Wait, so you’re saying HUNTR/X murdered the Saja Boys in front of an audience. A whole stadium.
RYAN:
Well, I'm saying they banished some demons, yes.
SHANE:
And the Saja Boys, were all—
RYAN:
—Yes, they were all demons.
SHANE:
...Where did you even get this theory? You’re accusing this major K-pop group of being murderers.
RYAN:
Of being hunters. Is it really murdering if they weren’t human?
SHANE:
What the—I’m not having this debate with you.
RYAN:
But it does explain why they destroyed the corn dog. They were just looking out for the civilian bystander.
SHANE:
Ah yes, the evil soul-sucking corn dog. You have got to have more evidence than that, right?
RYAN:
I thought you’d never ask. Check it: missing-person reports in Seoul spiked the very month Saja debuted—hundreds above average. After their disappearance? The numbers dropped back to normal.
SHANE:
Correlation, meet causation—maybe people were staying home streaming “Soda Pop.”
RYAN:
They’re still missing.
SHANE:
Maybe Tiger Auntie took them.
RYAN:
(wheeze)
SHANE:
(wheeze)
RYAN:
Final piece, then. Someone recently discovered this 1625 portrait of a Joseon-era court musician named “Jinu.” Same facial structure, same eyes. Four hundred years apart—same guy.
SHANE:
Every celebrity and their moms have a look-alike. Are you saying Keanu Reeves is also a demon?
RYAN:
Shane. These are theories. Hypotheticals. At least play in this sandbox of possibilities with me for a second.
SHANE:
Mmm, no thanks.
RYAN:
(wheeze) that was so blunt.
SHANE:
Well, that’s my answer! (wheeze)
RYAN:
I know, I know, it was just—I didn’t expect you to play it so straight.
Whether they were victims of obsession, industry puppets, instigators of conspiracy, or supernatural beings in too much eyeliner, to this day, the Saja Boys’ disappearance remains... unsolved.
RYAN:
What do you think happened?
SHANE:
I think they’re just chilling in Jeju with some fake IDs.
RYAN:
I think we may owe HUNTR/X a thank you for saving our souls.
SHANE:
I think you owe the corn dog an apology.
RYAN:
That poor, innocent corn dog...