AOA members renew, except Mina

All of the members of girl group AOA, except for Mina, renewed their contracts with their agency FNC Entertainment on Monday.

“The agency will fully support the future of AOA with the five remaining members - Jimin, Hyejeong, Seol Hyun, Yuna and Chanmi,” the agency stated in an official statement.

“After careful deliberation and discussion with the members and staff, Mina, who has been with us for seven years, has [decided to not renew her contract] and we’ve decided to respect her choice.”

The news came as a complete surprise to the group’s fans. There have been no hints suggesting that she was looking to leave.

Soon after the news broke, Mina erased all of her posts on social media, as if to imply a new start. There have been no updates about her future, or whether she is planning to stay in the K-pop industry.

By Lee Jae-lim