[1] Following discussions and compromises regarding the group's right to continued use of their name and to perform the music and choreography created while at SM,[2] Shinhwa released their first album under Good EMG, titled Winter Story, in late 2003.

In 2006, they contracted with Nippon Columbia to release an album, Inspiration #1 and single "We Have the Sun in Our Hearts" targeted for the Japanese market.

2008 signaled the beginning of a four-year hiatus of Shinhwa's group activities, as five of the six members were required to fulfill their mandatory national military service.

[6] During the inactive period, Pony Canyon released a multi-disc box set collection of Shinhwa's Korean albums in Japan in 2009.

They are one of the only Korean pop artists currently who continue to release full-length albums instead of a multitude of EPs and maxi-singles.