ITZY's Lia to pause activities due to health concerns

Lia from girl group ITZY [NEWS1]

ITZY’s Lia will take a break from group activities due to health concerns, the girl group’s agency JYP Entertainment said Monday.

“Lia is currently experiencing extreme nervousness and anxiety about continuing her schedule,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.

“She went through a medical checkup and was advised by her doctors to take a rest and focus on her recovery.”

“Lia will not be participating in any schedules starting from today; she will be taking a break for the time being to focus on her treatment. Lia’s return will be decided at a future date after adequate consultation with Lia and the members [of ITZY],” the statement read.

Lia also released a handwritten letter on Instagram the same day.

“Midzys must have been very surprised by today’s news,” Lia said. Midzy is the name of the group’s fandom.

“It’s been almost six years since I first started my journey with our members, pursing our dream […] While the times I had were precious, I realized that I was starting to lose grip on myself," Lia added. "Therefore I think the time has come to take a break, to love myself and do what is needed […] I will return healthy to repay the support you’ve sent me.”

Lia debuted as a member of JYP Entertainment’s five-member girl group ITZY in 2019. The group most recently released its seventh EP, “Kill My doubt” in July.

To find out more about ITZY, visit Celeb Confirmed!

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