Four members of Apink to leave IST Entertainment, one will stay

Five members of girl group Apink in 2023 [IST ENTERTAINMENT]

Four out of five members of girl group Apink — Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young — have decided not to extend their exclusive contract with their current agency IST Entertainment, with only Jeong Eun-ji re-signing with the agency, IST Entertainment announced Friday.

The agency assured that Apink as a group will be continued without disbandment.

“After long and careful discussions with the members of Apink upon the termination of their exclusive contract, Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young have decided to end the 12-year long journey with the agency that lasted since their debut, to pursue individual and mutual growth,” Friday's statement reads.

“We will continue our journey with Jeong Eun-ji, who recently renewed her contract with the agency. Jeong Eun-ji will be greeting [the fans] with new music and other activities in the near future.”

“Separate from the exclusive contracts, all members of Apink have a strong will to continue group activities and have strong affections towards the group. There will be no disbandment, and group activities will continue.”

The four other members have signed with a new agency named Choi Creative Lab, according to the company on Friday.

Choi Creative Lab echoed IST Entertainment's statement, reiterating that all members are adamant on continuing their identity as members of Apink even if they focus on their solo careers.

Apink debuted as a seven-member girl group in 2011 but is better known as a six-member group after Hong Yoo-kyung left the group in 2013. Son Na-eun left in 2022, and the band currently consists of five members: Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-mi, Jeong Eun-ji, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young.

Apink, whose discography spans more than a decade, is best known for hit tracks “NoNoNo” (2013), “Mr. Chu” (2014), “LUV” (2014), “Remember” (2015), “Dumhdurum” (2020) and more. “LUV” was the first song in history to receive awards from all three weekly music show programs, Music Bank, Show! Music Core and Inkigayo, for three weeks in a row.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]