Maybe Check In on the K-pop Girl Group Stans in Your Life

It might be the middle of a holiday break here in the States, but the press in South Korea has no reason to take the day off. On November 29 — the same day that NewJeans terminated their exclusive contracts with ADOR — fellow K-pop girl groups Fromis_9 and Loossemble both announced that they’re leaving their respective labels, too. That’s a lot of news for stans to absorb in the span of just 24 hours. Does this mean disbandment is on the horizon? Not necessarily. Idols from these groups have suggested that this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of them. Still, we haven’t gotten solid confirmation so far about any new agencies they might take their next steps with.

Fromis_9’s exclusive contracts with their label will end after expiring on December 31, Pledis Entertainment announced in a November 29 Weverse statement. The HYBE subsidiary characterized this as an “amicable conclusion” to discussions with all eight members. Before they go, the girls will release a song dedicated to fans on December 23. Fromis_9 debuted in 2018 after competing on the survival show Idol School, and later joined Pledis in 2021. Fans haven’t always been pleased with management there, though. The group’s latest single “Supersonic” arrived in August after a 14-month break from releasing music, an unusually long hiatus compared to other Pledis and HYBE artists. “Why are we the only ones who have to wait a long time to be active?” member Chaeyoung asked, per a fan translation, during a Weverse live in May. “Why only Fromis_9? It’s so sad.”

Meanwhile, K-pop agency CTDENM shared in a November 29 fancafe post that it has ended its exclusive contracts with all five members of Loossemble. Hyeju, Yeojin, Hyunjin, Vivi, and Gowon joined the label last summer, and literally hit the road soon after; they began touring the U.S. in September 2023 on the same day as their first release as a quintet. Loossemble’s members previously debuted together in Blockberry Creative’s Loona. But after a series of legal disputes, all 12 members eventually left Blockberry to join different companies. Yeojin assured fans in messages on the fan app Fromm that the parting with CTDENM happened on good terms. But the timing of the news might still sting for fans, given that Blockberry kicked Chuu out of Loona in November 2022. Shortly afterward, the majority of the group filed injunctions to leave on — you guessed it — November 29. What is it about today’s date? Hopefully next Thanksgiving break, we’ll only be digesting too much stuffing, not too much news.

Related

• Um, Is NewJeans Okay?
• NewJeans Announces That They’re Leaving Label ADOR