title: Shock (circulatory)

text: The goal of treatment is to achieve a urine output of greater than 0.5 mL/kg/h, a central venous pressure of 8–12 mmHg and a mean arterial pressure of 65–95 mmHg. In trauma the goal is to stop the bleeding which in many cases requires surgical interventions. A good urine output indicates that the kidneys are getting enough blood flow.


title: Shock (circulatory)

text: Septic shock (a form of distributive shock), is the most common form of shock. Shock from blood loss occurs in about 1–2% of trauma cases. Overall, up to one-third of people admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are in circulatory shock. Of these, cardiogenic shock accounts for approximately 20%, hypovolemic about 20%, and septic shock about 60% of cases.


title: Shock (circulatory)

text: The prognosis of shock depends on the underlying cause and the nature and extent of concurrent problems. Low volume, anaphylactic, and neurogenic shock are readily treatable and respond well to medical therapy. Septic shock, especially septic shock where treatment is delayed or the antimicrobial drugs are ineffective, however has a mortality rate between 30% and 80%; cardiogenic shock has a mortality rate of up to 70% to 90%, though quick treatment with vasopressors and inotropic drugs, cardiac surgery, and the use of assistive devices can lower the mortality.


title: Shock (circulatory)

text: There is no evidence of the word shock being used in its modern-day form prior to 1743. However, there is evidence that Hippocrates used the word "exemia" to signify a state of being "drained of blood". Shock or "choc" was first described in a trauma victim in the English translation of Henri-François LeDran's 1740 text, Traité ou Reflexions Tire'es de la Pratique sur les Playes d'armes à feu (A treatise, or reflections, drawn from practice on gun-shot wounds.) In this text he describes "choc" as a reaction to the sudden impact of a missile. However, the first English writer to use the word shock in its modern-day connotation was James Latta, in 1795.


title: Shock (circulatory)

text: Prior to World War I, there were several competing hypotheses behind the pathophysiology of shock. Of the various theories, the most well regarded was a theory penned by George W. Crile who suggested in his 1899 monograph, ""An Experimental Research into Surgical Shock"", that shock was quintessentially defined as a state of circulatory collapse (vasodilation) due to excessive nervous stimulation. Other competing theories around the turn of the century included one penned by Malcom in 1907, in which the assertion was that prolonged vasoconstriction led to the pathophysiological signs and symptoms of shock. In the following World War I, research concerning shock resulted in experiments by Walter B. Cannon of Harvard and William M. Bayliss of London in 1919 that showed that an increase in permeability of the capillaries in response to trauma or toxins was responsible for many clinical manifestations of shock. In 1972 Hinshaw and Cox suggested the classification system for shock which is still used today.


title: Pokiri

text: Pokiri () is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film was produced by Jagannadh and Manjula Ghattamaneni by their respective production companies Vaishno Academy and Indira Productions. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Ileana D'Cruz and Prakash Raj while Nassar, Ashish Vidyarthi and Sayaji Shinde appear in prominent roles. The plot revolves around a local goon whose killer instincts earn him not only his girlfriend's disapproval and a corrupt cop's enmity but also the attention of a wanted don.


title: Pokiri

text: Made on a budget of around 12 crore, the film's principal photography commenced in November 2005 and lasted until April 2006. Most of the film was shot in and around Hyderabad and Chennai, except for a song which was shot at the province of Phuket in Thailand and the city of Bangkok. Shyam K. Naidu was the film's cinematographer, and it was edited by Marthand K. Venkatesh. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Mani Sharma.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" was released on 28 April 2006, to highly positive critical feedback. The film was highly successful and was "Industry Hit" at its time of release. The film grossed 66 crore worldwide and remained the highest-grossing Telugu film for three years until it was surpassed by "Magadheera" in 2009. The film was also one of the fourteen southern Indian films to be screened at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) Film festival, along with V. V. Vinayak's "Tagore" in 2006. The film won five Nandi Awards and two Filmfare Awards. The film's success catapulted Ileana into limelight and stardom and brought recognition to Jagannadh as a writer and director. It was remade in Tamil as "Pokkiri" (2007), in Hindi as "Wanted" (2009), in Kannada as "Porki" (2010).


title: Pokiri

text: In Hyderabad, two rival mafia gangs headed by Dubai-based don Ali Bhai and Narayana resort to criminal activities such as extortion, contract killing and coercion to take control of the city. The new DCP, Sayyad Mohammad Pasha Qadri, focuses on making Hyderabad a better place by working on arresting all of them.


title: Pokiri

text: Pandu, a thug working for money and living in Hyderabad along with his friends, is hired by Narayana to beat up Ali Bhai's henchmen Nayar. He later joins Ali Bhai's gang for monetary reasons. He falls in love with Shruti, an aerobics master, who initially rejects his advances. Shruti lives with her widowed mother and brother and her neighbour Brahmi, a software engineer, who pesters her to marry him. A corrupt police officer named Pasupathy, who works for Ali Bhai, lusts after Shruti. He is determined to make her his mistress, undeterred by Shruti's multiple rejections. After Pandu kills a henchman of Narayana, He is confronted by Pasupathy and is able to prevent Shruti from being molested. She meets him the next day to thank him.


title: Pokiri

text: Pandu introduces himself as a self-employed person who undertakes any activity for money. They develop unspoken feelings for each other angering Pasupathy. Shruti's employer, Suryanarayana, also the father of Pandu's friend, suggests that she marry the man she loves. To escape from Pasupathy's advances, she meets Pandu and proposes to him. After an attack by Narayana's henchmen, who are murdered by Pandu, He reveals himself as a remorseless assassin and suggests that she might want to rethink her proposal. After Shruti distances herself from Pandu, Pasupathy frames her with a mock assault by a few gangsters unbeknownst to her family and the local residents, intending to ruin her life and subsequently force her to be his mistress. Learning this, Pandu beats up Pasupathy and warns him that he will face dire consequences if he is found guilty of being involved.


title: Pokiri

text: Ali Bhai visits Hyderabad and assassinates Narayana. He meets Pandu to discuss the murder of a minister by blowing up children's balloons. Pandu rejects this as it would involve killing innocents. In the middle of their argument, the police raids the club and arrests Ali Bhai. His gang members retaliate by kidnapping Qadri's daughter, drugging her and creating a lewd video of her which they threaten to release to the media if Ali Bhai is not released, forcing the embattled Qadri to release Ali Bhai. Though in a drugged state, Qadri's daughter reveals that her father had placed an undercover officer as a mole in Ali Bhai's gang. The gang members find out that an IPS officer named Krishna Manohar, the son of a retired inspector Suryanarayana, has gone undercover to finish off the syndicate and is now a part of their gang.


title: Pokiri

text: Ali Bhai kills Ajay, believing the latter to be Krishna Manohar. However, it is revealed that Ajay was actually Suryanarayana's adopted son. Ali Bhai then kills Suryanarayana to lure the real Krishna Manohar. When Krishna Manohar actually turns up, everyone, especially Shruthi and Pasupathy are shocked to see that he is Pandu. After Suryanarayana and Ajay's cremation, Pandu forces Pasupathy to call Ali Bhai to find out his location, which is Binny Mills. Pandu arrives at Binny Mills and starts to kill Ali Bhai's gang members one by one, rescuing Qadri's daughter in the process. In a final confrontation, Pandu kills Ali Bhai by slashing his throat with a broken glass window and shoots Pasupathy by saying the following words: "Okkasaari commit ayithe naa maata nene vinanu" ().


title: Pokiri

text: In 2004, after "Andhrawala"s commercial failure, its director Puri Jagannadh planned a film titled "Sri Krishnudu from Surabhi Company" starring Chiranjeevi in the lead role. He later decided that explaining the story to Chiranjeevi, talking him into accepting the role, and filming the movie, would be a long, tiring process. He chose instead to revive the script of "Uttam Singh S/O Suryanarayana" which he had written during the production of "Badri" (2000). He approached Pawan Kalyan to play the lead role, but he declined it. Later, he approached Ravi Teja who agreed to play the lead; Nagendra Babu was to produce the film. However, Teja was approached by Cheran, an award-winning director, to remake the 2004 Tamil film "Autograph" in Telugu. Teja was eager to be involved in the remake as he liked the original very much. As a result, the production "Uttam Singh S/O Suryanarayana" was temporarily shelved. Jagannadh meanwhile directed and produced "143" (2004). Teja had backed out of participating in it, citing scheduling conflicts with other existing commitments. Jagannadh wanted to experiment by casting Sonu Sood in the lead role, but this too failed to materialise.


title: Pokiri

text: On 3 November 2004, Jagannadh met Mahesh Babu at the Taj Hotel in Hyderabad to outline the film's plot. It told the story of Uttam Singh, an undercover police officer, infiltrating a mafia gang as a criminal, with the intention of killing its kingpin. Babu liked the script but suggested Jagannadh tweak the script's backdrop to suit the Telugu-speaking peoples' sensibilities. Jagannadh agreed and also replaced the existing title with "Pokiri". Babu wanted the film's production to begin in 2005 allowing him to complete his current commitments. While he waited for Babu, Jagannadh directed Nagarjuna in "Super" (2005). While reworking the script, Jagannadh took inspiration from "Marana Mrudangam" (1988) and "State Rowdy" (1989). "Pokiri" was produced jointly by Jagannadh and Manjula Ghattamaneni's production companies, Vaishno Academy and Indira Productions respectively, on a budget of 1012 crore.


title: Pokiri

text: For "Pokiri", Babu sported a longer hair style than in his previous films and shed five kilograms of weight. He used a new wardrobe and the same pair of shoes throughout the film. Jagannadh wanted to cast Ayesha Takia as the female lead. Due to a last minute change, the makers opted to replace Takia and considered several actresses including Deepika Padukone. Jagannadh approached Parvati Melton to play the female lead. She declined the offer because, at that time, her parents were against her decision to become an actress. He also approached Kangana Ranaut who could not accept the role because of scheduling conflicts with the filming of her scenes in "Gangster" (2006). After seeing stills of Ileana in her Telugu debut "Devadasu" (2006), Jagannadh signed her as the female lead since he needed a girl who looked like a teenager to play the role of the aerobics teacher.


title: Pokiri

text: Prakash Raj and Ashish Vidyarthi were cast as the film's primary antagonists. Raj played a mafia kingpin and Vidyarthi played a corrupt police officer, a villain's role he finds more fun to play than that of a hero. Sayaji Shinde and Nassar played the two other principal characters in the film. Jyothi Rana played the role of the mafia kingpin's moll, marking her debut in Telugu cinema. Isai and Subbaraju portrayed negative roles as well, with the former also making his debut in Telugu cinema. Ali played the role of a beggar and shared screen-space with Brahmanandam and Venu Madhav. Jagannadh added this trio to the film to provide situational humour. Master Bharath played the role of Ileana's brother. Mumaith Khan performed an item number in the film.


title: Pokiri

text: Jagannadh wrote the film's story, screenplay and dialogue with Meher Ramesh assisting him as script associate. Though having worked with Chakri many times in the past, at Babu's suggestion, Jagannadh instead chose Mani Sharma to compose the film's music. Shyam K. Naidu was the film's cinematographer and Marthand K. Venkatesh its editor. Chinna and Krishna were the film's art director and executive producer respectively.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" was shot predominantly in and around Hyderabad, especially in the Annapurna Studios, the aluminium factory near Gachibowli, Gayathri Hills and the Golconda Fort in 100 working days, from November 2005 to April 2006. Most of the scenes were shot in a single take though it took time for Babu to adjust to Jagannadh's style of filmmaking. Chennai-based stylist Chaitanya Rao designed the costume styling for Babu and Ileana. By late February 2006, eighty percent of the film shoot had been completed with the film's climax and two songs remaining. This made it Babu's fastest shot Telugu film with him in the lead role.


title: Pokiri

text: The song "Gala Gala" was shot in the province of Phuket in Thailand, and the city of Bangkok. Prior to the filming of the song "Jagadame", Shyam K. Naidu was busy on the set of "Munna" (2007) and was unable to shoot it so cinematographer K. V. Guhan, who had worked on Babu's "Athadu" (2005), was recruited instead. The film's climax sequences were shot in March 2006 at the defunct Binny Mills located in Chennai under the supervision of FEFSI Vijayan. He suggested that Jagannadh include a scene where Prakash Raj fails to hear anything for a while after he is hit by Babu during the climax sequence.


title: Pokiri

text: Babu stated in an interview that he had to shoot the film's climax and two songs continuously for thirty-eight days, adding that he had to visit a hospital to be treated for shoulder pain. During the shooting of an underwater sequence, a few electrical lights were used. The electricians changed the lines, creating a short circuit which resulted in the death of one of the unit members. Babu had gotten out of the pool two seconds before the accident happened, which he termed a "miracle".


title: Pokiri

text: The official soundtrack of "Pokiri" was composed by Mani Sharma, with lyrics written by Bhaskarabhatla, Kandikonda, and Viswa. Jagannadh wanted Sharma to compose six songs, with two duets between the lead pair, three solo numbers by the male lead, and an item number. During the shoot of "Sivamani" (2003), Jagannadh listened to the song "Listen to the Falling Rain," which sounded like the song "Gala Gala Parutunna Godarila" from the Telugu film "Gowri" (1974). He later came to learn that the latter song was inspired by the former, and he decided to reuse the same tune with modernised instruments and different lyrics. Sharma was accused of copying the tune of the song "Jaleo" composed by Ricky Martin for the song "Devuda" sung by Naveen.


title: Pokiri

text: The film's soundtrack, marketed by Aditya Music, was released on 26 March 2006, at Hotel Viceroy in Hyderabad with Babu's father Krishna attending the event as the guest of honour. Sify called the soundtrack a peppy one and chose "Gala Gala" as the pick of the album. IndiaGlitz called it a "run of the mill" album that lacks freshness. The reviewer chose "Devuda", "Gala Gala" and "Ippatikinka" as the picks of the album, rating each 3.5 out of 5. Cinegoer rated the soundtrack 3 out of 5 stars and stated: "The first time you hear Pokiri, the sound of it is good; it doesn't start to grow on you after a while, but a few of the numbers are hummable and ring in your ears", calling it a "mixed bag for Mani Sharma". The reviewer chose "Dole Dole" and "Gala Gala" as the picks of the album, rating each 3.5 out of 5.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" was scheduled for a worldwide release on 21 April 2006. Due to delays in post-production activities, the film's release was postponed to 28 April 2006, clashing with the release of "Bangaram" and "Veerabhadra". The film received an 'A' (Adults only) certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification for containing obscene sequences and excessive violence. Dil Raju Sri Venkateswara Creations, Mallikharjuna films and Great India films acquired the theatrical distribution rights of Nizam, Ceded and overseas regions respectively. "Pokiri" was one of the fourteen southern Indian films that were screened at the IIFA film festival 2006 held at the Dubai International Convention Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" was re-released in theaters worldwide on 9 August 2022, coinciding with Babu's birthday, with remastered picture and sound.


title: Pokiri

text: According to Sify, "Pokiri" took an "extraordinary" opening across the globe and was able to cash in on the four-day weekend holiday. "Pokiri" was released in a single screen, the Jayaprada theatre in Chennai, where 98.5% of seats were sold putting it in second place in the city's box office chart, which Sify called an "awesome" feat. The film completed a fifty-day run on 17 June 2006, in nearly 300 centres and had earned US$350,000 to become the highest grossing Telugu film in the United States. By July 2006, the film had earned approximately 3540 crore and become the highest grossing Telugu film of all time. The film earned 11.70 crore in the Nizam region alone, breaking the previous record set in the region by "Indra" (2002) and earned approximately 2.5 crore at the United States box office.


title: Pokiri

text: The film completed a 100-day run in 200 centres and a 175-day run in 63 centres. The film completed a 200-day run in 15 centres, and a 365-day run at a theatre in Kurnool, becoming the first Telugu film to do so in the last two and a half decades. The film was screened in Bhagiratha theatre, Kurnool for 500 days at the rate of four shows per day and collected a share of 60 lakh. In its lifetime, "Pokiri" grossed 66 crore and collected a distributor share of 42 crore at the global box office. It held that position until 2009 when "Magadheera" pushed it to second place after its nine-day run.


title: Pokiri

text: Reviewing the film, "The Hindu" wrote: "An out and out action flick, one can see the director's thirst to cash in on the audience craze for such films. Nevertheless it's Mahesh Babu's show all the way." Regarding Babu's performance in the film, Y. Sunita Chowdary of "The Hindu" wrote: "Mahesh's understated performance in "Pokiri" allows him to effortlessly reclaim the title of a star, overshadowing more questionable recent career choices". Sify stated that "Pokiri" was designed as a: "mass masala extravaganza which satisfies the undemanding viewers". The reviewer added that Babu's screen presence works to the advantage of the film.


title: Pokiri

text: Rediff.com stated: "Sporting a new, rugged look, 'Prince' Mahesh Babu has stolen the show. He carries the film on his shoulders, consolidating his winning streak after last year's "Athadu". Another highlight of the film is its well-choreographed action sequences (if you can digest the violence), which give it a slick look." IndiaGlitz gave a positive review stating: "In "Pokiri", the hero is introduced to us a ruthless baddie, part of the huge underbelly of mafia. By the time we come to the denouement, there is much twist and turn. If you like some racy action, fun, glamour and love, then "Pokiri" would be your kind of film."


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" has been remade in various languages across India. It was first remade into Tamil as "Pokkiri" in 2007 by Prabhu Deva, and marked his debut as a director of Tamil cinema. Deva remade the film into Hindi as "Wanted" in 2009. "Wanted" became the second highest grossing Hindi film of all time at that point. "Pokiri" was remade into Kannada as "Porki" in 2010 by M. D. Sridhar. The 2011 Bengali Bangladeshi film "Moner Jala" was an unofficial remake of this movie. Pakistan Cinema has been decided to be given new concept of this box office movie to be remake in Urdu with same name to be Casts introduced with Owais Khan against Prakash Raj Introduced from Bollywood.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" success elevated Babu to super-stardom and brought recognition to Jagannadh as a writer and director. The sequences featuring Brahmanandam as a software engineer, the comedy track of Ali and Brahmanandam, Babu asking Ileana to give him upma at the railway station were acclaimed. The fashion trend of wearing doctor sleeves increased in Andhra Pradesh after Babu sported them, and they continue to influence fashion even today. After the film's release, many films were released subsequently that had titles bordering on cuss words including Jagannadh's next film "Desamuduru" (2007). Babu revealed that he became confused after the film's success:It was such a huge hit, that if someone came to me with a script, I would approach the result of the film before approaching the character. I only wanted to act in movies that were like "Pokiri", I think that was a mistake. It all got to me, and I felt that I needed a break from films itself. Initially, I wanted just a seven-month break. I signed "Khaleja" after nine months, but it just kept getting delayed, and the break ended up becoming a two-year-long holiday. But I didn't freak out... I relaxed for the first time in life.


title: Pokiri

text: Two dialogues spoken by Babu in "Pokiri" became popular: "Evvadu kodutge dimma tirigi mind blockaipothundo, vaade Pandugaadu" () and "Okkasari commit aithe naa mata neene vinnanu" (Once I commit, I won't listen even to my own words). The film was Ileana's breakthrough in Telugu. In June 2006, Trade analyst Sridhar Pillai said that the Andhra Pradesh trade felt that her glamour, screen presence, and on-screen chemistry with Babu worked to the film's advantage. Pillai called her the "new pin-up girl of Telugu cinema". Talking about being typecast after her success in "Ye Maaya Chesave" (2010) as its female lead, Samantha Ruth Prabhu cited the example of Ileana being typecast in similar roles after the success of "Pokiri" saying that it had become mandatory for her to wear a bikini in every film since.


title: Pokiri

text: "Pokiri" was parodied by several films. In "Desamuduru", the character Gudumba Shankar, a saint played by Ali, is seen imitating Babu's mannerism from the song "Dole Dole". Brahmanandam's introduction scene in the film "Jalsa" (2008) is a spoof of Babu's introduction as a police in "Pokiri". The same sequence was spoofed in the films "Sudigadu" (2012) where the protagonist is named Siva Manohar I. P. S., and also in "Race Gurram" (2014). In "Dookudu" (2011), Babu is briefly seen as a film director who makes Prudhvi Raj and M. S. Narayana recite the dialogue "Evvadu Kodutge Dimma Tirigi Mind Blockaipothundo, Vaade Pandugaadu" from "Pokiri". The protagonist in "Eega" (2012), a fly, imitates Babu's mannerisms from the song "Jagadame" after injuring the antagonist played by Sudeep. Sayaji Shinde's dialogue in the film, "Tinnama Padukunnama Tellarinda", inspired a film of the same name. In "Thank You" (2022), Naga Chaitanya is briefly seen as a fan of Babu organizing and enjoying the film in Vishakapatnam.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!), an initialism for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (), is a South Korean male pop duo consisting of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin. They are known as in Japanese releases, and are sometimes referred to as DBSK, an abbreviation of their Korean name Dong Bang Shin Ki (). Their name roughly translates to "Rising Gods of the East".


title: TVXQ

text: Formed by SM Entertainment in 2003, TVXQ began as a five-member boy band composed of members U-Know Yunho, Max Changmin, Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu. They were immediately launched to mainstream recognition following the release of their first physical single "Hug" (2004), which peaked at number four on the MIAK monthly music chart. Their first studio albums "Tri-Angle" (2004) and "Rising Sun" (2005) were both top sellers, pushing the band's popularity beyond Korea. Under Avex, TVXQ entered the Japanese market with their first Japanese album "Heart, Mind and Soul" (2006), but it was met with limited success.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ rose to international prominence in the late 2000s, after the group achieved critical acclaim in the Korean music industry for their best-selling albums ""O"-Jung.Ban.Hap." (2006) and "Mirotic" (2008), both winning the Golden Disk Award for Album of the Year. The latter album also contains the pop hit "Mirotic", touted by international music critics as a staple song of K-pop. With four chart-topping singles, TVXQ gained widespread media attention in Japan following the release of their fourth Japanese album "The Secret Code" (2009). However, despite their commercial success, the group plunged into legal turmoil and internal conflict when members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu attempted to split from their Korean agency S.M. Entertainment. Prior to the trio's departure in 2010, TVXQ released their last Japanese album as a quintet, "Best Selection 2010", which became the group's first album to top the Oricon Albums Chart. The album spawned two platinum-selling singles, including the long-running hit "Share the World".


title: TVXQ

text: After a year-long hiatus, TVXQ returned as a duo with remaining members Yunho and Changmin. They released TVXQ's fifth Korean album "Keep Your Head Down" (2011), topping album charts in most major Asian markets upon release. Their first two Japanese albums as a duo, "Tone" (2011) and "Time" (2013), solidified their success in Japan as it forged TVXQ's reputation as one of the top-touring artists in the country. Their eighth Japanese album "With" (2014) made TVXQ the first and only foreign music act in Japan to have four number-one albums in a row.


title: TVXQ

text: Selling over 10 million physical records in the first 10 years of their career, TVXQ have become one of Asia's most successful music acts of their generation. They are often referred to as "Asia's Stars" and the "Kings of K-pop" for their immense success and contributions to the Hallyu. According to the Oricon, TVXQ have the most number-one singles and albums for a foreign artist in Japan, and are also Japan's best-selling foreign artist in CD singles of all time. Their , one of the highest-grossing concert tours of 2013, broke attendance records for foreign singers in Japan until 2017, when TVXQ broke that same record with their Begin Again Tour. TVXQ are the first non-Japanese Asian artists to headline a nationwide five-Dome tour and the first foreign artists to headline the Nissan Stadium. "Billboard" has described the group as "K-pop royalty".


title: TVXQ

text: With the disbandment of H.O.T. in 2001 and Shinhwa's departure in 2003, producer Lee Soo-man of S.M. Entertainment had to search for another boy band to compete against other popular idol groups in the growing K-pop market. In early 2003, Lee eventually selected five teenage boys from four different S.M. training teams to debut in a vocal dance unit. Xiah Junsu, the first to join the new group, became an S.M. trainee at age eleven and was originally trained to be a solo singer. He was put into an R&B trio with trainees Sungmin and Eunhyuk (both now of Super Junior fame), and the trio made their first appearance on the reality show "Survival Audition – Heejun vs. Kangta, Battle of the Century", a 2002 series that starred former H.O.T. members Kangta and Moon Hee-jun as mentors for prospective singers.


title: TVXQ

text: U-Know Yunho, who signed with S.M. Entertainment in 2000, was a member of several failed project groups throughout his years as a trainee. In 2001, he was featured as a rapper in Dana's debut single "Diamond" and briefly toured with her. That same year, Hero Jaejoong auditioned for S.M. Entertainment and was subsequently accepted into the agency after going through various auditions. Following trainees Heechul and Kangin, Yunho and Jaejoong joined the project group Four Seasons in 2002, but the quartet disbanded when Yunho and Jaejoong were selected to join Lee's new group in 2003. Heechul and Kangin went on to debut as members of Super Junior two years later.


title: TVXQ

text: Max Changmin, the youngest at age fifteen, was the fourth to join the new band. Micky Yoochun, who started his training only a few months before the group's official debut in December 2003, was the last member to make the cut. The boys received phone calls from Lee and were told to attend a photo shoot session, which turned out to be a briefing for their upcoming debut. To build group chemistry, the members moved into a small dormitory room arranged by their management. After a few weeks of training and rehearsals, they recorded their first song "Thanks To" and performed it at the S.M. New Face Showcase. Yunho was appointed as the group's leader.


title: TVXQ

text: During their early recording sessions, the group was offered some tentative names to use: SM5, Dream Team, O Jang Yuk Bu (; literally "The Five Visceras and the Six Entrails"), Jeon Meok Go (short for Jeonseoleul Meokgo Saneun Gorae; ; literally "A Whale That Eats Legends"), and Dong Bang Bul Pae (), the Korean name for the Chinese wuxia character, Invincible East. They decided on Dong Bang Bul Pae, and even obtained permission to use the name from Film Workshop, but the name was later rejected by their management because the Hanja was not aesthetically pleasing. Their name was subsequently finalized to Dong Bang Shin Ki (), which was suggested by Lee's acquaintance.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ made their first public appearance and debut on December 26, 2003, in a BoA and Britney Spears showcase, where they performed their debut single "Hug" and an a cappella rendition of "O Holy Night" with BoA.


title: TVXQ

text: The group released the physical single of "Hug" on January 14, 2004. The single debuted at number thirty seven on the monthly MIAK chart selling less than 5,000 copies. On February 6, 2004, TVXQ made their official television debut at the Mnet and KM cable music program "Music Tank", where they performed "Hug" and "O Holy Night". The following day, they performed on SBS's "Inkigayo".


title: TVXQ

text: The sales of "Hug" picked up following their television appearances, and on March 28, 2004, TVXQ won their first music show award with "Hug" on "The Music Trend" ("Inkigayo"). "Hug" won two more awards in April 2004. By May 2004, "Hug" sold 118,114 copies and reached a peak at number four on the MIAK. "Hug" stayed charted for ten consecutive month


title: TVXQ

text: On June 24, 2004, TVXQ released their second single "The Way U Are", which entered the MIAK at number two. In July 2004, TVXQ participated in their first SM Town project and collaborated with other label mates to release the SM Town album, "2004 Summer Vacation in SMTown.com". In October 2004, TVXQ released their first full-length studio album "Tri-Angle". It was TVXQ's first record to debut at number one, selling a total of 242,580 copies in the first month. According to the MIAK, "The Way U Are" and "Tri-Angle" became two of the top ten best-selling albums of 2004.


title: TVXQ

text: During the promotions of "Tri-Angle", S.M. Entertainment had plans to promote TVXQ in mainland China and Taiwan under the support of its overseas partner, Avex Group. TVXQ members recorded Mandarin versions of their popular singles and released them exclusively on the Taiwan presses of "Tri-Angle".


title: TVXQ

text: Inspired by the success of BoA's Japanese music career, TVXQ signed with Japan's Avex Group in late 2004. In November 2004, they released an English version of "Hug" in Japan, but the single failed to gain momentum despite TVXQ's Hallyu success. Re-introduced as for the Japanese market, the members learned Japanese and move to Japan for their first official single. They released their debut Japanese single "Stay with Me Tonight" in April 2005 through Avex's record label Rhythm Zone. The single reached to number thirty-seven on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart. Before returning to Korea to prepare for their second Korean album "Rising Sun", TVXQ released their second Japanese single "Somebody to Love" in July 2005, which peaked at number fourteen. TVXQ's debut in Japan was not as successful as their management had hoped, and the group said their first few months in Japan were "difficult." In August 2005, TVXQ performed for Avex's annual A-Nation summer concert tour, their first musical festival in Japan.


title: TVXQ

text: "Rising Sun" was released in South Korea on September 12, 2005, and became the group's first breakthrough album. It debuted at number one on the Korean charts and was the fourth best-selling record of 2005. The album's lead single "Rising Sun" was a popular hit, and it eventually became the group's signature piece. TVXQ ended the year with two more releases: their third Japanese single "My Destiny" and a Korean maxi single "Show Me Your Love", featuring Super Junior. The latter single entered the Korean charts at number one. "Rising Sun" garnered several popularity awards for the group at the end of the year, including M.net KM Music Video Festival's Best Popular Music Video award, the ceremony's "daesang" ("grand prize").


title: TVXQ

text: In February 2006, TVXQ embarked on their first headlining international concert tour, the Rising Sun Tour. Comprising 6 shows only, the tour started off with four shows in Seoul, South Korea. On July 14, 2006, the tour stopped by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where TVXQ were the first Korean artist to hold a concert in the country. The tour's second and last overseas stop was in Bangkok, Thailand on July 15, 2006. A CD recording of their concert in Korea was released on July 14; the DVD was released six months later in January 2007, and had initial sales of 38,000 units.


title: TVXQ

text: On March 8, 2006, TVXQ released their fourth Japanese single, , which became the seventeenth ending theme for the long-running anime series "One Piece". Their debut Japanese album "Heart, Mind and Soul" was released two weeks later, and it debuted on the Oricon Albums Chart at number twenty-five, selling 18,000 copies. In April 2006, TVXQ released their first double A-side single "Rising Sun / Heart, Mind and Soul" as a follow-up from their album. The single peaked at number twenty-two. To support "Heart, Mind and Soul" and its subsequent releases, TVXQ held their first Japanese tour, the 1st Live Tour 2006: Heart, Mind and Soul, from May to June 2006. The tour consisted of eleven shows that attracted an audience of 14,800. After the tour, TVXQ released two more Japanese singles, "Begin" and "Sky". The latter debuted at number six on the Oricon, making it the group's first single to reach the top ten in Japan.


title: TVXQ

text: The group resumed their Korean activities with the release of their third Korean album, ""O"-Jung.Ban.Hap." on September 29, 2006. The album entered the Korean charts at number one and became the best-selling record of 2006 after one month of release. The success of the album gave TVXQ four coveted grand prize awards in 2006: at the M.net KM Music Festival, they received four awards, including Artist of the Year and Best Group. TVXQ won all three of their nominations at the 16th Seoul Music Awards, and at the 21st Golden Disk Awards, ""O"-Jung.Ban.Hap" won Album of the Year, the ceremony's grand prize. TVXQ also took home the biggest awards at the SBS Gayo Daejeon. The album's international success won the group their first award in Japan, the Bess Buzz Asia in Korea award at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan.


title: TVXQ

text: In November 2006, TVXQ returned to Japan to release their eighth Japanese single, , which became TVXQ's first top three single on the Orico'. In January 2007, TVXQ announced their second international tour, the 2nd Asia Tour: O, and toured Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Beijing. The tour attracted an audience of 390,000.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ released their second Japanese album "Five in the Black" in March 2007, debuting at number ten on the Oricon with nearly 27,000 copies sold on its first week. Drawing in an audience of 46,600, the group toured Japan from May to June 2007. The five singles TVXQ released upon completion of the tour, including "Lovin' You", "", "Shine / Ride On", "Forever Love" and "Together", peaked in the Oricon top five, their most successful being "Summer", which peaked at number two. TVXQ were also featured in Kumi Koda's thirty-eighth single "Last Angel", which was used as the theme song for the Japanese release of "". Released in November 2007, the single peaked at number three on the Oricon and won Best Collaboration Video at Japan's MTV Video Music Awards.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ's sixteenth Japanese single "Purple Line", released on January 15, 2008, became the group's first single to debut at number one on the Oricon. Their third Japanese album "T" was released a week later and debuted at number four, selling over 52,000 copies. With the critical and commercial success of "T", TVXQ delayed their Korean comeback to put more focus on their new Japanese releases, and from February to March 2008, the group released a series of five singles consecutively for six weeks, promoting the releases as the "Trick" project. Each single contained a solo track by a member, as well as some of their own compositions. With their new records the group toured around Japan from March to May 2008. The T tour concluded with 17 shows and attracted an audience of 150,000 people, more than three times the size of their previous Five in the Black tour. The tour's DVD, released in August 2008, sold 112,000 copies. "T" also received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in May 2008.


title: TVXQ

text: Shortly before completing the T tour, TVXQ released their twenty-second Japanese single, "Beautiful You / Sennen Koi Uta". The latter track, "Sennen Koi Uta", was used as the opening theme for the historical Korean drama "The Legend" when it aired in Japan. Despite the drama's disappointing ratings, the single was a number-one seller, making TVXQ the first non-Japanese Asian performer to release two number-one singles in Japan, a record which was last held by Taiwanese artist Ouyang Fei Fei twenty-four years prior. In July 2008, TVXQ released their twenty-third single, "Dōshite Kimi o Suki ni Natte Shimattandarō?", their third number-one single in Japan. They performed the single at Avex's 20th anniversary meeting and at A-Nation 2008, their fourth consecutive concert with Avex.


title: TVXQ

text: In August 2008, TVXQ returned to Korea to prepare for the release of their fourth Korean album, "Mirotic". The group assumed more creative control in this album compared to their last Korean releases: Yunho wrote the rap for several tracks, Junsu and Changmin wrote the lyrics to two tracks and Jaejoong and Yoochun recorded their own solo tracks. "Mirotic" was slated to be released on September 24, 2008, but due to an unprecedented amount of pre-orders, the release was postponed to September 26. The album entered the charts at number one and sold over 110,000 copies in one week, setting a new record. The album's lead single "Mirotic" became TVXQ's most successful single of their career. The song won a total of nine number-one trophies on Korean music programs "The Music Trend", "Music Bank", and "M! Countdown", and was touted by international critics as a staple song of K-pop. "Mirotic" has sold over 600,000 copies, the first Korean album in six years to surpass half a million sales in South Korea.


title: TVXQ

text: In October 2008, TVXQ released the Japanese version of "Mirotic", which topped the Oricon, breaking a record that the group had set with their previous single. TVXQ were the first Korean group to attend the Japanese New Year Eve's music festival Kōhaku Uta Gassen, and their invitation to the event was considered one of the biggest highlights of their Japanese music career. In January 2009, the group released their twenty-fifth Japanese single "Bolero / Kiss the Baby Sky / Wasurenaide", which was another number one single for the group. "Bolero" was used as the theme song for the Japanese film "Dance Subaru", and TVXQ also made brief cameo appearances in the film. In February 2009, the group kicked off their third international tour, the 3rd Asia Tour: Mirotic, which went through five cities in Asia.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ released their fourth Japanese album "The Secret Code" in March 2009 and it debuted at number two on the Oricon. It managed to sell over 317,000 copies in Japan, earning a platinum certification. From May to July 2009, TVXQ went on their fourth headlining Japanese tour, the 4th Live Tour 2009: The Secret Code, which consisted of 21 shows to an audience of 279,500 people. The last two shows of the tour were at the Tokyo Dome, making TVXQ the first Korean group to perform at the venue. The concert's DVD, which was released in September 2009, pre-sold 107,000 copies and ultimately sold more than 353,000 copies. A number-one seller, TVXQ were the first foreign artist in twenty years to peak at first place on the Oricon's DVD rankings.


title: TVXQ

text: In July 2009, members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu attempted to split with their Korean management S.M. Entertainment, claiming that their thirteen-year contract was excessively long, schedules were held out without permission of the members, and profits were unfairly distributed. In October 2009, the Seoul Central District Court granted the trio a temporary contract injunction, and TVXQ's group activities in Korea were ceased. In November 2009, Yunho and Changmin released a joint statement in support of S.M. Entertainment, and urged the trio to resolve their issues with their management quickly if they wished to continue their careers as TVXQ members. As a result of the legal battle, the Shenzhen show for the group's Mirotic tour was canceled a week before its scheduled date on November 21, 2009, thus prematurely ending the tour. Despite the injunction, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu maintained their activities as TVXQ members under Avex's management in Japan, and the group continued to release new Japanese singles together until early 2010. However, the members' last public performance together was on December 31, 2009, at the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, where they performed their twenty-eighth single, "Stand by U".


title: TVXQ

text: In January 2010, TVXQ released their twenty-ninth single, "Break Out!", which created a new record for the group. The single topped the Oricon and broke Elton John's fourteen-year record of having the highest first-week sales for a foreign artist. On February 17, 2010, TVXQ released their Japanese greatest hits album "Best Selection 2010", a compilation of their number-one hits including new singles released after 2009's "The Secret Code", such as "Share the World / We Are!", "Stand by U", and "Break Out!". The album sold over 400,000 copies in one week, earning RIAJ's double platinum status by the end of February. In March 2010, the group released their last single together, "Toki o Tomete", which was certified platinum by the RIAJ.


title: TVXQ

text: On April 3, 2010, Avex declared the suspension of TVXQ's Japanese activities, stating that each member would be pursuing a solo career. However, a week later, Avex announced the formation of a "special unit" with members Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu—later known as JYJ—a move that led to Yunho and Changmin's indefinite hiatus from music activities. After JYJ's announcement, S.M. Entertainment filed a lawsuit against JYJ to validate their contracts. In June 2010, JYJ submitted a lawsuit against S.M. Entertainment to void their exclusive contracts. Following the suits, S.M. Entertainment attempted to denounce JYJ and their new agency C-JeS, while Yunho and Changmin remained silent throughout the legal proceedings. In the meantime, Avex released two of TVXQ's greatest hits albums, the "Complete Single A-side Collection" and the "Single B-side Collection", both of which were released on June 30. They were TVXQ's closing releases under their contract with Rhythm Zone.


title: TVXQ

text: After several months of inactivity, Yunho and Changmin made their comeback appearances in August 2010 for the Seoul stop of the SM Town Live '10 World Tour, where they performed re-recorded versions of older TVXQ songs. Their two-piece performances garnered strong and supportive reactions from the audience, prompting Yunho and Changmin's decision to continue TVXQ activities without the other three. There were brief talks about recruiting new members, but their mentor Lee Soo-man suggested that they should continue as a duo act. Shortly after the concert, the duo began working on their comeback album and brought in a new line of producers, including E-Tribe and Outsidaz. In September 2010, Avex dropped JYJ, citing conflict with C-JeS. Avex then declared its support for remaining TVXQ members Yunho and Changmin on November 24, announcing that the duo have signed a new record contract with Rhythm Zone's sister label Avex Trax.


title: TVXQ

text: Yunho and Changmin released TVXQ's comeback Korean album "Keep Your Head Down" on January 5, 2011. The album debuted at number one on the Gaon Albums Chart, and maintained its position for a second week. With 230,922 copies sold by mid-2011, "Keep Your Head Down" won the Album of the Year for the first quarter of 2011 at the Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards. The album's title single, "Keep Your Head Down" also stayed strong on the charts, winning seven number-one trophies on music shows "The Music Trend", "Music Bank", and "M! Countdown." The Japanese version "Keep Your Head Down", which was released as a physical single in Japan on January 26, 2011, was a chart-topper and became TVXQ's second best-selling single in Japan, earning a platinum certification by the RIAJ. In March 2011, "Keep Your Head Down" was reissued with a new single, "Before U Go", and the repackaged album "Before U Go" peaked at number nine on the Gaon, pushing the album to be the third best-selling record of 2011 in South Korea.


title: TVXQ

text: While promoting "Keep Your Head Down", Yunho and Changmin spoke up for the first time about their 2010 hiatus and breakup with JYJ. According to Yunho, JYJ had "exceedingly deep conflicts" with their agency and the members had irreconcilable differences about their career. Changmin added that the team had worked so hard to the point where they felt like they could finally "harvest the fruits of [their] labor", yet instead of being happy they had to perform their final stage with heavy hearts. JYJ responded by saying that they did not regret their decision in leaving S.M. Entertainment. The lyrics of "Keep Your Head Down" also came under media scrutiny, with claims that they were directed at JYJ; however, TVXQ clarified that "Keep Your Head Down" was not a diss track, and that similar claims would still happen even if they were to release a different song with different lyrics. Yunho said, "The song is about a man's mind towards a woman who had left him. We can sometimes find out that a certain song seems to talk about my own story. In this way it totally depends on the interpretation using our own thoughts."


title: TVXQ

text: In July 2011, TVXQ released their thirty-second Japanese single "Superstar", which was certified gold by month's end. From July to August, the duo toured around Japan for Avex's A-Nation summer concert, and at the Tokyo stop, TVXQ performed as the closing act, breaking Ayumi Hamasaki's record of closing the concert eight years in a row. TVXQ were the first foreign performers to close the festival. On September 28, the group released the Japanese album "Tone", which earned them their first number-one studio album. It sold over 200,000 copies on its first week and earned RIAJ's platinum certification on its second week. TVXQ was the second overseas artist in Japan to achieve album sales of more than 200,000 in a week; the previous holder was Bon Jovi with their 2000 album, "Crush".


title: TVXQ

text: In the latter months of 2011, the duo performed for a string of K-pop music festivals around the world. They first performed at the 2011 Hallyu Dream Concert at Gyeongju Citizens' Stadium in South Korea on October 3. On October 9, TVXQ participated in the "New York-Korea Festival", a concert produced by KBS Global to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Korea's entry into the United Nations. It was held in New Jersey. On October 23, TVXQ performed with SM Town at the SM Town Concert in New York at Madison Square Garden concert and garnered international media attention. TVXQ also participated in the 2011 K-pop Music Fest in Sydney, Australia, presented by JK Entertainment on November 12.


title: TVXQ

text: Their new Japanese holiday single "Winter" was released on November 30. The single's A-track, "Winter Rose", was selected as the commercial song for Seven & i Holdings's "Winter Gift", which premiered on November 8. TVXQ also contributed in their Korean management's December compilation album "2011 Winter SMTown – The Warmest Gift", and released the song "Sleigh Ride". On December 31, TVXQ performed "Keep Your Head Down" at the 62nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. It was their first time performing at the Kohaku since the split, drawing media attention.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ started 2012 with their comeback Japanese solo tour, the , in January 2012. Tickets were sold out in a few minutes. Spanning a total of twenty-six shows in nine cities, the Tone Tour reached to an audience of 550,000, more than twice the audience count of their 2009 Japanese tour, The Secret Code. TVXQ also became the third foreign artist, after Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys, to perform at the Tokyo Dome for three consecutive days, attracting crowds of over 165,000. The Tone tour's 550,000 audience was also the largest mobilization for any Korean artist in Japan at the time, until TVXQ broke their own record with their 2013 Japan tour .


title: TVXQ

text: With the release of their thirty-fourth chart-topping Japanese single, "STILL" in March 2012, TVXQ became the first foreign artist to release ten number-one singles in Japan. By July 2012, TVXQ came to be recognized as the first foreign artist in Japan to sell over 3.1 million CD singles, breaking a ten-year, ten-month long record that was previously held by the American vocal duo, The Carpenters. The group had a fan club event tour called "The Mission" that attracted over 100,000 fans


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ returned to South Korea in September 2012 to release their sixth Korean album "Catch Me", followed by the announcement of their first world tour, the . "Catch Me" was released online on September 24 and on September 26 through normal commercial outlets. It became Yunho and Changmin's second number-one album and TVXQ's fifth number-one album in South Korea, and maintained its number-one position on the Gaon Albums Chart for three weeks. On November 26, TVXQ released "Humanoids", the repackage of "Catch Me", which also peaked at number one. Two days after the reissue's release, S.M. Entertainment and JYJ dropped their lawsuits against each other and reached a settlement, ending their three-year legal dispute. As part of the agreement, both parties stated that they would no longer interfere with each other's activities, and it was agreed upon that JYJ's contracts with S.M. Entertainment had ended in July 2009.


title: TVXQ

text: On January 16, 2013, TVXQ announced on their official Japanese site the release of their sixth Japanese album "Time" for March 6. The album became their fastest selling studio album to date, selling over 277,000 copies in its first month of release.


title: TVXQ

text: Its lead single, "Catch Me -If You Wanna-", sold over 137,000 copies, and topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, making the group the first foreign artist to have had twelve number ones on Oricon. In March the group took part in the TRF tribute album "TRF Tribute Album Best" for TRF's 20th anniversary. They sang a cover of "survival dAnce ~ cry more~" and were the only Koreans to participate on the album.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ set several records with their , which commenced at the Saitama Super Arena in April 2013. The duo became the first K-pop artist and the fourth foreign artist to embark on a five-dome tour, and were the first foreign musical act to perform at the Nissan Stadium as a headlining artist. The tour attracted a record audience of 850,000 people. The tour grossed US$90 million, breaking Tone's record.


title: TVXQ

text: On December 26–27, 2013, TVXQ held two concerts titled "Time Slip" at the Korea International Exhibition Center in Ilsanseo-gu, South Korea to celebrate their tenth anniversary.


title: TVXQ

text: Promoted as TVXQ's tenth anniversary debut album, their seventh Korean studio album "Tense" was announced in November 2013. The album was released on January 6, 2014, and debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Albums Chart and Hanteo Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 73,100 copies. First-month shipments reached 194,198 units, making "Tense" the best-selling album of January 2014 in South Korea. Music critics rated "Tense" favorably, with a general consensus that the album is the duo's best Korean record to-date. Musically "Tense" has elements of neo soul with throwback-inspired pop, and it is described to be more mature than the duo's earlier efforts. The lead single "Something", a swing jazz pop number, debuted at number four on the Gaon Singles Chart and reached number seven on the "Billboard" Korea K-Pop Hot 100, TVXQ's highest debut on both charts. In Japan, "Something" was released as a double A-side single with "Hide & Seek" on February 5, 2014. In late February 2014, TVXQ announced their follow-up Korean single "Spellbound". An expanded version of "Tense", re-titled "Spellbound", was released on February 27, 2014, and debuted at number two on the Gaon Albums Chart, shipping 61,405 copies in two days.


title: TVXQ

text: "Tree", TVXQ's seventh Japanese studio album, was released on March 5, 2014. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, moving 225,000 copies on its first week of release. With "Tree", TVXQ became the first foreign band in Japan to have three consecutive studio albums with first-week sales of over 200,000 copies, breaking Bon Jovi's thirteen-year record. TVXQ continued to break new records with their seventh Japanese concert tour , which toured Japan from April to June. The tour drew in over 600,000 people in total, pushing the duo to become the first international artist of Japan to bring in the largest number of concertgoers in the last three years, reaching over 2 million.


title: TVXQ

text: On August 30, 2014, TVXQ announced their at Avex's A-Nation concert for early 2015, which went on to be their tenth anniversary tour in Japan. The tour's accompanying studio album, "With", was released on December 17, 2014. It debuted at number one on the Oricon, selling 233,000 copies. Meanwhile, the duo also embarked on their world tour concert , a commemoration for their tenth year in the K-pop industry.


title: TVXQ

text: On December 26, 2014, the duo's eleventh debut anniversary, TVXQ's wax figures at Madame Tussauds were unveiled in Shanghai. By the end of 2014, TVXQ became the 5th artist by total sales revenue in Japan in 2014, with ¥3.691 billion.


title: TVXQ

text: The duo entered their second hiatus when Yunho started his mandatory military service for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces on July 21, 2015. Prior to his enlistment, TVXQ released the full-length album "Rise as God", which debuted at number one. Changmin joined the Military Police on November 19, 2015.


title: TVXQ

text: Yunho was honorably discharged from service on April 20, 2017, while Changmin was honorably discharged on August 18, 2017. On August 21, TVXQ announced their comeback to be a series of projects, starting with a concert. The TVXQ Special Comeback Live: Your Present held a total of three shows in Seoul and Macau from September 30 to October 15, 2017. On October 25, 2017, the duo released the Japanese compilation album "Fine Collection ~Begin Again~", which comprised songs released by the duo since 2011. The album's accompanying Begin Again Tour debuted at the Sapporo Dome in November 2017 and ended at the Nissan Stadium in January 2018. TVXQ broke several records with the tour: they are the first music group in Japan to hold a three-day concert at the Nissan Stadium and are the first foreign artists to bring over a million people with one tour. The tour broke a new record for K-pop in Japan, with a total of one million tickets sold. "Reboot," the duo's first Japanese single since their hiatus, was released on December 20, 2017. The single debuted at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling over 123,000 copies.


title: TVXQ

text: The duo started preparations for their eighth Korean studio album upon their return to Korea. "" was released on March 28, 2018, after a two-week pre-release promotional period. Following the album's release, the duo announced the Circle #welcome Tour, which opened in Seoul's Jamsil Supplementary Stadium on May 5 and 6, 2018. The tour went on to play shows in Hong Kong and Bangkok.


title: TVXQ

text: "New Chapter #1" debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, their seventh number-one album since the chart's inception in 2010. "New Chapter #1" ultimately finished the month of March at number four with 110,666 copies in Korea. The duo released their ninth full-length Japanese studio album "Tomorrow" on September 19, 2018, and debuted number one on the Oricon Albums Chart. The record is supported by the nationwide Tomorrow Tour from September 2018 to January 2019. With 33 stops, it was TVXQ's most expansive tour in Japan. The duo released their 46th Japanese single "Jealous" on November 21, 2018, as the lead track for their tenth Japanese album XV. It debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, their 13th time topping the chart. This broke several records, making TVXQ the foreign artist with the most number ones, most top-10s, and highest cumulative sales in Oricon Singles Chart history.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ released their extended play "", sequel to "New Chapter #1", on December 26, 2018, day of their fifteenth debut anniversary. Similar to their 2015 album "Rise as God", "The Truth of Love" was tagged as a "special" album release, so it was not regarded as an official studio release. Though TVXQ did not promote the record, it debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart. In Japan, it debuted at number 12 on the Oricon Albums Chart.


title: TVXQ

text: Their tenth Japanese album "XV", promoted as their fifteenth debut anniversary in Japan, was released on October 16, 2019. It was TVXQ's eighth album to debut atop the Oricon Albums Chart, surpassing BoA's record in becoming the first and only foreign artist in Japan to earn eight number one albums.


title: TVXQ

text: In May 2020, it was announced that TVXQ would hold a live online concert, as the fifth concert organised by SM Entertainment and Naver as part of the world first online-dedicated live concert series "Beyond LIVE". The live concert was scheduled for May 24.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ have labeled their lead singles as "SMP", a supposedly experimental genre with a mix of orchestral pop, rock, hip hop, and contemporary R&B, topped with harmonizing vocals and high notes. Many of TVXQ's songs feature lyrics with dark social commentary.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ's musical style has evolved over the years. Dance-pop and contemporary R&B ballads persisted throughout their releases, and they have released a cappella versions of their music. In their first two albums, TVXQ explored rap rock, and have collaborated with the rock band TRAX in those attempts. With their fourth Korean album "Mirotic" (2008), TVXQ delved into urban contemporary and electropop, and the album's lead single "Mirotic", a song marked by heavy-urban dance and Europop sounds, is considered one of the staple songs of K-pop. In the albums after the split, Yunho and Changmin experimented with more electronic dance music, traditional R&B, and pop songs with strong hip hop cadences. However, the duo's tenth anniversary album, "Tense" (2014), saw a drastic change in TVXQ's musical direction, in which acoustic genres such as adult contemporary pop music took focus.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ's dance choreography has been called "intense and powerful". Their stage performances have been described as "imaginative" and "captivating", with Yunho and Changmin being lauded for their stability and stamina to perform live, with some live concert sets lasting for more than three hours. On an episode of Mnet's "Idol Chart Show" that aired on May 4, 2011, TVXQ were ranked number one among music removed (MR) idol singers.


title: TVXQ

text: The five original members of TVXQ made their first appearance as actors in 2005, through the sitcom "Rainbow Romance" and their own seven-episode miniseries titled "Banjun Theatre". In 2006, TVXQ starred in their second miniseries "Vacation", also releasing a soundtrack.


title: TVXQ

text: In 2012, Yunho and Changmin appeared in the biographical movie "I AM.", a film that contained interviews from SM Town artists. The duo was featured in another SM Town film, the concert documentary "SM Town: The Stage", in August 2015. In April 2016, during the duo's hiatus, they released their own Japanese concert film, "Till", in Japan. In May 2018, the duo made cameo appearances on the television special drama "Tensai Bakabon", playing as two hotel porters who appear again ten years later as members of a popular band.


title: TVXQ

text: In November 2008, the Korean Commission of Youth Protection ruled that "Mirotic" was detrimental to youths and declared that the lyrics were provocative and overly sexual. As a result, the album was labeled with stickers indicating that it was unsuitable for people under 19 years old and any performances of the song would have to be broadcast after 10 PM. In response to the ruling, SM Entertainment agreed to make a clean version but also had filed an injunction to overrule the commission's decision. The lyrics were changed from "I got you" to "I chose you" and "I got you under my skin" to "I got you under my sky." In March 2009, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of SM Entertainment. The Commission of Youth Protection announced they would appeal the ruling to a high court after having an emergency meeting and deeming that the phrase, "I got you under my skin", was inappropriate for minors.


title: TVXQ

text: On July 31, 2009, three of the members—Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu—submitted an application to the Seoul Central District Court to determine the validity of their contract with their management agency, S.M. Entertainment. Through their lawyers, the trio stated that the 13-year contract was excessively long, schedules were held out without the confirmation or permission of the members, contract terms had been extended and changed without their knowledge or consent, and that the group's earnings were not fairly distributed to the members. Early termination penalty of their contract would cost them twice the profit that the group was estimated to earn for S.M. Entertainment in the rest of the contract period. The news of their lawsuit was enough to cause S.M. Entertainment's stock price to drop over 10%.


title: TVXQ

text: The Seoul Central District Court granted the three members a temporary contract injunction in October 2009 and stated that S.M. Entertainment could not interfere with their individual activities, thus placing a halt on TVXQ's group activities in South Korea. The members claimed that the contract was unfair and that they were left out of proper profit distribution. In response, S.M. Entertainment called a press conference and claimed that the lawsuit was not about unfair contracts or human rights, but motivated by the three members' greed to pursue their cosmetics business uninhibited by the restrictions of their exclusive contract with S.M. Entertainment. The agency submitted a complaint on criminal misdemeanor charges against the cosmetics company CreBeau; however, it was never brought to court by the prosecutor on grounds of insufficient evidence. The three replied that they hoped S.M. Entertainment would respect the court's decision.


title: TVXQ

text: In response to the lawsuit, 120,000 TVXQ fans filed a petition against S.M. Entertainment's long-term contracts to the Seoul District Court. The Korean chapter of TVXQ's fanclub, Cassiopeia, also filed for compensation from S.M. Entertainment for the cancelled S.M. Town Live Concert, as both S.M. Entertainment and TVXQ initially stated that the concert would go on as planned. The concert was canceled a week before its scheduled date. TVXQ's Mirotic Asia Tour Concert in Shenzhen, which was scheduled to be held on November 21, 2009, was also canceled.


title: TVXQ

text: Though TVXQ's activities in Korea were ceased, the three continued activities as TVXQ members until the end of the year in Japan, where they were managed by Avex. On April 3, 2010, Avex announced the indefinite suspension of TVXQ's Japanese activities. The three, later known as JYJ, signed a new contract with Avex to form a new special unit, which was announced on April 13, 2010. The trio released their debut Japanese EP, "The..." in September 2010.


title: TVXQ

text: On February 17, 2011, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed S.M. Entertainment's injunction against the three, filed in April 2010 for damage compensation. In September 2012, the final decision on the case was postponed indefinitely by the Seoul Central District Court for mediation under the justice department.


title: TVXQ

text: The lawsuit came to an end on November 28, 2012, with both parties mutually agreeing to withdraw their lawsuits, stating that the three members' contracts came to an end on July 31, 2009, and that both parties would mutually not interfere with each other's activities. An S.M. official was quoted as saying, "We made a judgment that we don't have to manage the three members of JYJ any longer as they expressed their intention not to keep their activity as TVXQ" and further added that they have decided to end the litigation "to avoid bringing additional harm to U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin, who are active as TVXQ, and to avoid making any more unneeded issues".


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ have endorsed products such as LG Mobile, "Samsung"s "Anycall", sportswear "Fila", and Oronamin C. Some of their songs have even been used as theme songs for television shows, commercials and motion pictures; such as "One Piece", Chevrolet and "Subaru".


title: TVXQ

text: In 2011, the newly reformed TVXQ duo landed endorsement deals in Korea with brands such as Nike, The Shilla Duty Free, Pepsi NEX Zero, Missha, and most recently with Lacoste. In Japan, they have endorsed Seven & i Holdings, 7-Eleven products, the Seibu Silver card, 7-net shopping, and Ezaki Glico ice cream products.


title: TVXQ

text: On August 14, 2012, Missha launched a new limited-edition TVXQ perfume set and had a special TVXQ fan signing event at the Missha store in Myeong-dong. On September 10, 2012, Missha announced that TVXQ had signed an exclusive contract with them to represent the brand worldwide and that their advertisements would soon be featured in some 1,000 stores across Asia.


title: TVXQ

text: In 2005, the Los Angeles Tourism Corporation launched the "See My L.A." campaign. TVXQ, along with label-mate BoA, became the spokespeople for the campaign. Since April 2007, TVXQ host their own weekly radio program, "TVXQ Bigeastation" on the Japan FM Network. On March 28, 2008, TVXQ were chosen as the "Goodwill Ambassador for Asia" by Universal Studios Japan in order to further promote the attractions of the USJ. TVXQ were also chosen to be the new faces for the Lotte duty-free shop, due to their popularity throughout Asia.


title: TVXQ

text: The official fanclubs of TVXQ are "Cassiopeia" in South Korea and "Bigeast" in Japan. Their fandom color is red. According to news sources in 2008, "Cassiopeia" was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as "the world's largest fanclub" with more than 800,000 official members. However, the Guinness World Records later stated that "[w]e currently have a category for the largest fanclub for a group, but no record has yet been set and we haven't been provided with any evidence". TVXQ was also reported to have made it into the Guinness World Records in 2009 for being the Most Photographed Celebrities in the World, which was also directly refuted by Guinness World Records.


title: TVXQ

text: When Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu started their lawsuit against their management, 120,000 "Cassiopeia" members filed a petition with the Seoul District Court in 2010 against S.M. Entertainment's long-term contracts. "Cassiopeia" also filed for compensation from S.M. Entertainment for the canceled SM Town Live Concert, as both SM and TVXQ initially stated that the concert would go on as planned. The concert was canceled a week before its scheduled date.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ are known for breaking numerous sales and attendance records in Japan. In 2008, with the release of their 16th Japanese single "Purple Line", TVXQ became the first foreign boy band and the second Korean artist after BoA to top the weekly Oricon Singles Chart in Japan. Their 23rd Japanese single "Dōshite Kimi o Suki ni Natte Shimattandarō?" was TVXQ's third single to top the Oricon, hitting a record for a non-Japanese Asian music act in Japan. Their 29th Japanese single "Break Out!" released in 2010 was the fastest-selling single by a foreign act in Japan, breaking a record previously held by Elton John. Their greatest hits album "Best Selection 2010" was TVXQ's first album to debut atop the weekly Oricon Albums Chart and the first album by a foreign artist to sell over 400,000 copies in one week, breaking Bon Jovi's record fourteen years prior.


title: TVXQ

text: With the release of TVXQ's 31st Japanese single "Keep Your Head Down" in 2011, the band's first single after the split, TVXQ extended their record for weekly singles sales in Japan by a foreign music act. The duo's 42nd Japanese single "Time Works Wonders", released in 2014, pushed TVXQ's CD single sales in Japan to 4.09 million copies, making TVXQ the best-selling foreign music act in CD singles of all time. TVXQ have 34 top ten singles and 12 number-one singles, the most by any foreign artist in Japan. TVXQ's 2014 Japanese album "With" also broke several records in a row: "With" was TVXQ's fourth consecutive number-one album and their fourth consecutive album to surpass 200,000 copies in its first week of release, breaking yet another record that was previously set by Bon Jovi in Japan.


title: TVXQ

text: TVXQ are the first Korean idol group invited to perform at the Kōhaku Uta Gassen, Japan's most prestigious New Year Eve's music festival. They performed there three times, from 2008 to 2011. TVXQ are the first Korean music group to headline their own concert at the Tokyo Dome (The Secret Code Tour in 2009), the first foreign group to embark on a five-Dome tour in Japan ( in 2013), and the first foreign artists to perform at the Nissan Stadium (Time Tour). Their 2017 Begin Again Tour was the highest-attended tour ever held by a foreign music act, bringing over a million people.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity Corporation was a publicly traded company headquartered in Fremont, California that sold and installed solar energy generation systems as well as other related products and services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The company was founded on July 4, 2006, by Peter and Lyndon Rive, the cousins of SpaceX and Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk, and nephews of model Maye Musk. Tesla acquired SolarCity in 2016, at a cost of approximately $2.6 billion and reorganized its solar business into Tesla Energy.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity heavily focused on door-to-door sales of leased systems, where customers would pay no upfront costs, but agreed to purchase the power generated by those panels from the company for 20 years. The business model became the most popular in the US and made the company the largest residential solar installer, but it caused SolarCity to have over $1.5 billion in debt by the time of its acquisition in 2016.


title: SolarCity

text: Prior to its acquisition by Tesla, the two companies had a close relationship. SolarCity offered free charging to Tesla Roadster owners at its charging stations, SolarCity became one of the first installers of the Tesla Powerwall home energy storage battery, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk served as the chairman of SolarCity.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity was founded in 2006 by brothers Peter and Lyndon Rive, based on a suggestion for a solar company concept by their cousin, Elon Musk, who was the chairman and helped start the company. By 2009, solar panels it had installed were capable of generating 440 megawatts (MW) of power.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2011, the company launched their expansion to the East Coast with the acquisition of the solar division of Clean Currents and groSolar. Following the acquisitions, SolarCity expanded operations on the East Coast and opened in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Vermont, and New Hampshire.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2013, SolarCity was the leading residential solar installer in the U.S. Solar Power World magazine listed it as the number two overall solar installation company in the U.S. In 2013, SolarCity purchased Paramount Solar from Paramount Equity for $120 million. By 2015, its installed panels were capable of generating 870 MW of solar power and accounted for approximately 28% of non-utility solar installations in the U.S. that year.


title: SolarCity

text: In October 2014, SolarCity announced it would be offering up to $200 million in solar bonds in its first registered public offering of bonds in the United States. In March 2016, SpaceX bought $90 million of SolarCity stock.


title: SolarCity

text: In net metering in Nevada case in late 2015, SolarCity withdrew from solar sales and installation in Nevada, following the decision by the state's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to raise the monthly service charge for rooftop solar customers and progressively reduce the return on solar energy sold back into the grid under the net metering rule. Under the new rules, the monthly service charge imposed on Nevada Power's rooftop solar-generating customers rose from $12.75 to $17.90 and was scheduled to rise to $38.51 by January 1, 2020; simultaneously, the rates given to rooftop solar generating customers for their surplus solar energy were also clawed back and were to continue to decline over the ensuing four years. As a result, SolarCity eliminated more than 550 jobs in Nevada.


title: SolarCity

text: During 2015, the number of employees had grown by 69%; at the end of 2015, SolarCity had 15,273 employees. To preserve cash, SolarCity eliminated 20% of its total workforce in 2016, ending 2016 with 12,243 employees. This was the first time in the company's history that it cut its workforce.


title: SolarCity

text: The job cuts affected workers across the entire company: 22% of jobs were cut in operations, installations, and manufacturing; and 27% in sales and marketing. In August 2016, the company announced that it planned to take up to $5 million in charges to cover its planned layoffs. The company also cut the salaries of its two co-founders from $275,000 to $1 per year.


title: SolarCity

text: On August 1, 2016, Tesla announced that it would be acquiring the company in an all-stock $2.6 billion transaction as Tesla's mission since its inception has been "to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy." As part of Elon Musk's "The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan," Tesla sought to expedite the world's move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy. The proposal for acquisition was approved by antitrust regulators.


title: SolarCity

text: More than 85% of unaffiliated shareholders (affiliated shareholders are those who hold executive positions at either company) from Tesla and SolarCity voted to approve the acquisition on November 17, 2016, allowing the acquisition to close on November 21, 2016.


title: SolarCity

text: Some investors criticized the deal, calling it "a misguided effort to rescue two companies that depend on investors and the government for operating cash." In April 2022 a Delaware court ruled in favor of defendant Elon Musk in a shareholder lawsuit over Tesla's $2.6 billion acquisition of SolarCity. “[The] Tesla Board meaningfully vetted the Acquisition, and Elon did not stand in its way,” read the opinion by Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights. “Equally if not more important, the preponderance of the evidence reveals that Tesla paid a fair price — SolarCity was, at a minimum, worth what Tesla paid for it,” Slights added. The court also noted that since the acquisition "Tesla’s value has massively increased".


title: SolarCity

text: In April 2017, the chief policy officer of SolarCity, John Wellinghoff, left SolarCity. In June 2017, Lyndon Rive left SolarCity, and Peter Rive left shortly thereafter. By 2019, Tesla's solar panel market share was falling, prompting the company to cut its sales force. Revenue from Tesla's energy generation and storage operations from January to September 2019 fell 7% from a year earlier to $1.1 billion.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2008, SolarCity entered the solar leasing market with a new solar lease option for homeowners: leasing rooftop solar to customers who would pay no upfront costs. In exchange, customers paid for 20 years for power generated by those panels. SolarCity's solar lease allowed some homeowners to pay less each month than they previously paid for electricity from the utility company.


title: SolarCity

text: The "no-money-down solar" business model became the most popular in the U.S. and increased installations, but it also added considerably to SolarCity's debt, accounting for about half of the company's over $3 billion debt in 2016. The business model was also criticized by consumer advocates and government regulators.


title: SolarCity

text: In May 2008, SolarCity completed what was, at the time, the largest commercial solar installation in San Jose, at the North Campus of eBay. In July 2008, SolarCity completed what was, at the time, the largest commercial solar installation in San Francisco, consisting of 1,606 solar photovoltaic panels for British Motor Car Distributors. SolarCity introduced additional financing options for businesses in 2009 and built multiple solar projects for other large organizations, including Walmart, Intel, and the U.S. military. In 2013, the company established GivePower as a non-profit branch of its solar business, which is an independent enterprise.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity used proprietary mounting hardware that "snaps together" on rooftops eliminating the need for rails and utilized skirts to hide the hardware and panel edges. SolarCity acquired the mounting technology when it purchased Zep Solar in 2013. The "railless" system allowed installers to install solar panels on the roof more quickly than other installation approaches. Traditionally, solar panel installation had required workers to first outfit roofs with mounting rails and then attach solar panels to those rails. Tesla Energy continues to use the technology for its solar panel installations.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2010, SolarCity acquired Building Solutions, a home energy audit firm and began to offer energy efficiency evaluations and upgrades. SolarCity expanded its energy efficiency services to the East Coast and worked with Admiral's Bank of Boston in March 2012 to make a new loan available to finance energy efficiency improvements.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2009, SolarCity entered the electric car charging business by buying the SolSource Energy business of Clean Fuel Connections, Inc. In 2011, SolarCity announced a partnership with Rabobank to make electric car charging available for free to owners of Tesla Roadster cars traveling on U.S. Route 101 in California between San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, in 2012, Tesla independently started deploying their own Supercharger stations.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarStrong was SolarCity's 5-year plan to build more than $1 billion in solar photovoltaic projects for privatized military housing communities across the United States. It was announced in late 2011.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarStrong was carried out by SolarCity in cooperation with Lend Lease Group involving 124 military bases in 33 states. The financing included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, USRG Renewable Finance, and U.S. Bancorp. It had a partial $344 million federal loan guarantee through the U.S. Department of Energy Financial Institution Partnership Program; however, the guarantee was withdrawn after the project implementation started.


title: SolarCity

text: The project started in 2011 with development of the Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam in Hawaii, followed by Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. In 2012, the project continued with the Los Angeles Air Force Base in California, and Peterson Air Force Base, and Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2016, SolarCity ran pilot project to test a grid backup resource by installing GridLogic software and 10-kilowatt-hour Tesla Powerwall battery packs in 500 California homes. This concept was also tested in Vermont.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2014, SolarCity announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility (now known as the Gigafactory 2) in Buffalo, New York, in coordination with the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, after acquiring Silevo, a maker of high-efficiency solar modules. The initial manufacturing complex would be a facility that would cost $900 million and employ 1,500 workers in Buffalo and 5,000 statewide. With a planned capacity of one gigawatt of solar panels annually by 2019, the new plant would be the largest solar plant in the U.S. Groundbreaking for the project occurred in September 2014 with a target completion date of early 2016.


title: SolarCity

text: The facility would be the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Panasonic was to handle production at the Buffalo plant, investing $256 million. Panasonic and SolarCity/Silevo were developing similar but somewhat different HIT-technology, and Panasonic hoped to use SolarCity's wafers combining the two companies' technologies at an efficiency of 22%. SolarCity expected demand to outstrip the Buffalo production of 10,000 solar panels per day and bought solar equipment from other manufacturers until more factories could be built. SolarCity was required to spend $5 billion over the next decade on the facility and create more than 1,460 direct manufacturing jobs.


title: SolarCity

text: In February 2016, CEO Lyndon Rive announced that due to delays incurred in the supply of machinery for the plant, production would begin in summer 2017. New York State owns the building and most of the equipment, leasing it to SolarCity. Most of the work was completed by November 2016, when the Buffalo Billion project was under investigation, delaying state payments to contractors, but not influencing progress on completion of construction. SolarCity started hiring for the facility in December 2016.


title: SolarCity

text: Elon Musk announced in 2017 that production of Tesla's solar roof products would be moved to the Buffalo facility at the end of 2017. It was reported that as of August 2017, production of solar roof tiles had begun at the facility, and Tesla expected to continue to ramp up production through the rest of the year. By the end of 2018, the facility employed about 800 workers. The state of New York required the company to employ at least 1,460 workers at the facility by April 2020 or face a $41.2 million penalty, and in February 2020, the company reported having 1,500 workers at the facility. Panasonic announced that they would cease operations at the facility in May 2020.


title: SolarCity

text: Buffalo Billion is a billion-dollar program launched by the administration of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to revitalize Buffalo, New York. One of the main features of the program was the solar panel factory to be leased by SolarCity in the High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend. The state appropriated $750 million in funding for the hub. According to "Daily Energy Insider", "The facility will have one gigawatt of annual solar capacity when it reaches full production and is expected to produce about 10,000 solar panels per day."


title: SolarCity

text: On April 29, 2016, then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (of the Southern District of New York) began an investigation into state construction projects and contracts, including the Buffalo Billion. SolarCity was not the subject or focus of the investigation and was not involved in the vendor selection or contracting. SolarCity said that it was cooperating with federal agents who had been in contact with the company.


title: SolarCity

text: According to "The New York Times", Buffalo Billion would benefit "a tangle of well-connected players – including developers and frequent donors to the governor – who have feasted on Buffalo Billion money". Cuomo strongly defended the project, noting that there had been a decrease in unemployment and an increase in spending around the Buffalo area.


title: SolarCity

text: Three executives who worked for LPCiminelli Development faced a 14-count indictment for wire fraud and bribery and alleged bid rigging of the SolarCity RiverBend construction contract. Additionally, five other people have been charged with related crimes.


title: SolarCity

text: On May 18, 2016, the Public Authorities Control Board delayed a meeting at which it was set to approve $485 million in new funds for SolarCity. The New York state legislature planned to approve a budget in April 2017 that would give $500 million more into the Buffalo Billion program. In return, the legislature wanted the Cuomo administration to put more transparency into how the money is spent.


title: SolarCity

text: On March 30, 2017, "The Oregonian" said that Campaign for Accountability, a D.C.-based consumer advocacy group, and other groups have asked Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to investigate solar panel sales practices that "are designed to trick homeowners into buying or leasing solar panels" in violation of Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practices Act. According to "The Oregonian", the request to Rosenblum "singled out one company: California-based SolarCity. It outlined several complaints filed against the solar giant by Oregonians who claimed they'd been misled about costs, tax credits and energy savings by the company."


title: SolarCity

text: The Campaign for Accountability reviewed 58 complaints that consumers filed with the Oregon Department of Justice and said that the complaints indicated "a widespread pattern of apparent fraud and abuse by solar companies." The Oregon Solar Energy Industry Association, however, said that it examined the complaints and "found the numbers to be relatively low – lower than those being cited by the Campaign for Accountability."


title: SolarCity

text: Investigators determined that SolarCity attempted to "cheat the system" by inflating the cost of 14 commercial solar projects by more than 100% to qualify for higher state tax credits. SolarCity and its accountant were required to pay back $13 million to the state of Oregon. The investigation also found that "phony and misleading documents" were submitted for some projects, and there was a bribery scheme involving the projects' energy consultant and a state Energy Department manager. One of SolarCity's solar panel suppliers employed prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon, to keep costs down.


title: SolarCity

text: The company is involved in a case concerning Martin Shain, the lead energy consultant in a solar power project at two Oregon universities. Shain was indicted for forgery in Marion County in August 2016. He is a consultant for BacGen Technologies in Seattle, a key player in the controversial $24 million "Solar by Degree" project and is accused of "creating a phony invoice from a fictional subcontractor that was pivotal in getting nearly $12 million in tax credits from the Oregon Department of Energy". The project began in 2013 and was sponsored by the Oregon University System; thousands of solar panels, generating millions of kilowatt hours of energy per year, were constructed on 21 acres on the campuses of Oregon State University and the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls.


title: SolarCity

text: The state's case revolves around two documents, which include an invoice from Solar Foundations Systems dated February 25, 2011, and a December 2011 letter signed by Ryan Davies, the former head of RedCo, a Utah-based company, which was the second developer on the project. According to KOIN-TV, "The Davies letter reported $210,000 had been spent toward the project and that construction was progressing." The Solar Foundations invoice contains details of the construction of solar arrays. The invoice was necessary to provide proof of work on the project to get tax credits from the state. The "Solar by Degree" project received the tax credits, but it was later shown that the company named on the invoice, Solar Foundations, does not exist. In addition, Davies claims he did not write nor has ever seen the RedCo letter in question and that his name was forged. Relying on this evidence, the state claims Shain forged both documents. Shain denies forging the invoice and claims it was given to him by someone else involved in the project. The tax credits involved were given to SolarCity, the third developer in the project, along with its financial backers. According to "The Oregonian", "Those backers provide upfront financing for the projects in exchange for a share of the project revenues and the federal and state tax credits, which they can use to offset their own taxes." SolarCity stated, "We financed and constructed the projects in accord with the requirements of the Oregon Department of Energy." The company argues that the state hired Shain, and it had no knowledge of the phony documents in question; otherwise, it would have not pursued the endeavor.


title: SolarCity

text: In 2012, the Treasury Department began investigative interviews of solar firms regarding their fair market value calculations for constructed solar energy systems. SolarCity stated that its values were correct and complied with the Treasury Department guidelines. SolarCity received roughly $501.2 million in credits up until December 31, 2015. In 2017, SolarCity settled the investigation by agreeing to pay $29.5 million without any admission of guilt or liability.


title: SolarCity

text: Since 2006, SolarCity has lowered the minimum FICO score required for customers to get the leasing deals. It uses the score of 650 (a "fair" credit rating) as the cutoff. However, between 2014 and 2017, SolarCity signed long-term lease agreements with at least 14 homeowner customers right before the customers defaulted on their mortgages. The company has been named in 139 lawsuits where it is the defendant in legal proceedings based on "residential foreclosure action."


title: SolarCity

text: In its response, SolarCity said in a statement to the "New York Times", "Out of more than 305,000 installed customers, SolarCity is currently involved in 139 such proceedings. The litigation is not adversarial – being named in the foreclosure proceeding provides us with advance notice that we need to reassign a contract, and many are immediately resolved with the relevant bank."


title: SolarCity

text: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) began investigating Sunrun and SolarCity in May 2017 and were looking into whether they adequately disclosed canceled contracts. "Some customers say they canceled contracts after being strong-armed into solar-energy deals" and there have been hundreds of complaints to state attorneys general.


title: SolarCity

text: The federal government is investigating whether solar companies are "masking how many customers they are losing." The SEC is involved because "investors use that cancellation metric as one way to gauge the companies' health." According to the "Wall Street Journal", "To generate business, solar companies have long relied on thousands of salespeople who knock on doors, make hundreds of cold calls and even trail people as they shop at retailers like Home Depot Inc., according to salespeople, executives and homeowners."


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity installed SolarEdge inverter systems with a type of DC-DC converter called an optimizer. These systems cause radio interference as documented in April 2016 QST magazine a publication of the ARRL.


title: SolarCity

text: In June 2017, the Vermont Public Service Board found that SolarCity was implementing solar projects in Vermont without approval required by law. According to Vermont Public Radio, Public Service Board Chair Anthony Roisman sent a letter to SolarCity warning the company that it needed to get regulatory approval before installing solar generation equipment and attaching it to the state's electrical grid. Roisman wrote, "Over the past few months, my office has observed a pattern of procedural issues with net-metering applications being pursued by your company." Officials at the company worked quickly to respond to the issue.


title: SolarCity

text: In July 2018, three former employees filed a lawsuit against SolarCity, alleging that the corporation had approved the creation of "fake sales accounts", which resulted in an "unreasonably high valuation of SolarCity" for investors. After allegedly informing management, including CEO Elon Musk, of these incidents, the employees were allegedly fired, which they argue contravenes California's whistleblower protection laws. A Tesla spokesman denied these allegations. On June 5, 2020, the case was dismissed with prejudice.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity installed and manages solar panels on the roofs of more than 240 Walmart stores. On August 21, 2019, Walmart filed a lawsuit against Tesla, seeking reimbursement for millions of dollars in damages and release from contracts, claiming that fires on the roofs of seven of those stores since 2012 were caused by SolarCity's "negligent installation and maintenance." The suit was settled on November 5, 2019, and the terms were not disclosed. A joint statement provided by Tesla stated the companies said they were "pleased to have resolved the issues raised by Walmart" concerning the installations, and looked forward to "a safe re-energization of our sustainable energy systems." Walmart had accused Tesla of "widespread, systematic negligence" and ignoring prudent industry practices by relying on untrained and unsupervised personnel to install and maintain its panels, and prioritizing speed and profit over safety.


title: SolarCity

text: At around the start of the lawsuit, it was revealed that Tesla had initiated a secretive program, called Project Titan, to "replace solar-panel parts that could cause fires" as early as the previous summer. From a resource perspective, Project Titan involved "ordering supplies including ladders and tool belts and sent crews out around the United States" to approximately 50 cities as well as replacements for the specific parts believed to be causing fires: Amphenol H4 connectors and SolarEdge optimizers.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity indirectly funds a political advocacy group known as the Checks and Balances Project. The project has criticized the elected members of the Arizona Corporation Commission (the regulatory body that oversees electricity and utilities in Arizona) for being too well-connected to utility companies. The Checks and Balances Project has filed several requests for public records from the Arizona Corporation Commission. In July 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed the head of Checks and Balances as part of a larger criminal investigation into the financing of certain Arizona statewide races in 2014.


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity partnered with banks, large corporations, and the asset-backed market to create project finance funds to finance its lease and power purchase agreement (PPA) options. Among SolarCity's better-known financing partnerships was a $280 million fund created with Google to finance residential solar installations in June 2011. The Google Fund was the largest fund of its kind in the U.S., and Google's largest investment in clean energy.


title: SolarCity

text: The company is one of the founding members of The Alliance for Solar Choice, or TASC, which is a rooftop photovoltaic power station solar trade organization.


title: SolarCity

text: The SunShot Initiative is a national effort to support solar energy adoption to make solar energy affordable for all Americans. It is run by the US Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office and funds research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects. It is a collaboration of private companies, universities, state and local governments, and nonprofits, as well as national laboratories. The program began in 2011 with the initial goal of making solar energy competitive with traditional forms of electricity by 2020. By 2016, the program achieved 70% of the progress towards the 2020 goal.


title: SolarCity

text: In the fiscal year 2012 Congressional budget, the program was appropriated $457 million. According to the US Department of Energy's appropriation request for that year, "The program also encourages Systems Integration by developing "radically new approaches" to reduce the cost and improve reliability and functionality of power electronics and supporting industry development through test and evaluation standards, and tools for understanding grid integration issues."


title: SolarCity

text: SolarCity was involved in a collaboration with the program along with the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Hawaiian Electric Industries. Using government and taxpayer funds, SolarCity helped 2,500 Hawaii residential customers connect their solar power systems to the grid by the end of December 2015.