Jeongyeon made the announcement on Monday (Aug 10).
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Twice member Jeongyeon has officially become the first member of the K-pop group to leave their longtime agency, JYP Entertainment. The 29-year-old made the announcement on Monday (Aug 10)
Posting a photo of a handwritten letter, Jeongyeon, whose full name is Yoo Jeong-yeon, said that leaving JYP Entertainment “was daunting at first” but she was able to “find the courage” thanks to her fellow Twice members and Once (Twice’s fans).
“I am deeply grateful to my members and Once; words cannot fully express my gratitude. I am also very grateful to the JYP family who helped me grow into the person I am today,” wrote Jeongyeon.
She clarified that she will continue to be a member of Twice, which also comprises Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu.
“The one thing I truly want to tell Once is that even though I am moving on to a new chapter to take on new challenges, Twice, the centre of my life, will remain unchanged, just as it is now. Standing before Once as a member of Twice will always be my very first priority,” she added.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and always staying by my side. Since we still have so much time ahead of us to create new memories, I will work hard to fill those moments even more beautifully with Once.”
Jeongyeon will now be managed by South Korean agency Varo Entertainment, which also manages her sister, actress Gong Seung-yeon, as well as South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok – both of whom recently starred in the hit Disney+ series Perfect Crown.
Jeongyeon’s announcement comes weeks after South Korean media outlets claimed that her fellow Twice groupmate Tzuyu would also be leaving JYP Entertainment. As of writing, the status of the remaining eight Twice members’ solo contracts has not been revealed.
