Apink Continues as a Group Despite Four Members Leaving Agency, 'Promise to Maintain Group Activities'
Four members of the group Apink, Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Kim Nam-joo, and Oh Ha-young, will be leaving their current agency, IST Entertainment. However, Apink is expected to remain intact as a group.
On the 28th, IST Entertainment announced, "As the expiration of Apink's exclusive contract approaches, we had a series of careful discussions with the members. To support each member's individual growth and mutual development, Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Kim Nam-joo, and Oh Ha-young will end their beautiful 12-year journey with our agency at the end of April."
Jung Eun-ji successfully renewed her contract with IST Entertainment. The agency emphasized, "Eun-ji will continue her activities as a singer and will greet fans with a new project soon. We plan to consistently support her in showcasing her talents in various activities."
While each member has the possibility of joining a different agency, Apink will continue as a group. The agency explained, "Regardless of the contract status, all members of Apink have a strong determination and affection for group activities, so they have promised to maintain team activities without disbanding. We will make efforts to protect the team after discussions on Apink's future activities."
Apink debuted in 2011 as a seven-member group. Two members, Hong Yoo-kyung and Son Naeun, left the group, and they have been active as a five-member group. They are recognized as one of the few long-running idol groups in Korea, breaking the '7-year curse' that many female groups have faced.
Below is the full official statement from IST Entertainment regarding Apink's future activities:
We sincerely thank all the fans who have loved and supported Apink.
We would like to announce our official position regarding Apink's future activities.
As the expiration of Apink's exclusive contract approaches, we had a series of careful discussions with the members. To support each member's individual growth and mutual development, Park Chorong, Yoon Bomi, Kim Namjoo, and Oh Hayoung will end their beautiful 12-year journey with our agency at the end of April.
We recently renewed our contract with Jung Eunji and will continue our relationship with her. Eunji will continue her activities as a singer and will greet fans with a new project soon. We plan to consistently support her in showcasing her talents in various activities.
Regardless of the contract status, all members of Apink have a strong determination and affection for group activities, so they have promised to maintain team activities without disbanding. We will make efforts to protect the team after discussions on Apink's future activities, and cooperate with each other.
We sincerely thank all the Apink members who have been with us for 12 years, during which they have established themselves as a representative K-pop girl group. We ask for your continued warm support and love for Apink as they prepare for their new journey.
Thank you.
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