TWICE's Jihyo quits JYP after 21 years but stays with group
TWICE's Jihyo has ended her 21-year relationship with JYP Entertainment to launch her own agency, but will remain a member of the K-pop group.
TWICE's Jihyo has ended her 21-year relationship with JYP Entertainment to launch her own agency, but will remain a member of the K-pop group.
The 29-year-old singer has established EMITHAUS to manage her solo career after joining JYP as a trainee when she was just eight years old.
Jihyo confirmed her departure on Wednesday (21.10.26), thanking the company for its support and assuring fans that she had no plans to leave TWICE.
In a handwritten letter shared on Instagram, she admitted it was difficult to sum up a relationship that had lasted from childhood through her teenage years and into adulthood.
The Killin' Me Good singer said her time at the company had included good and difficult days, but felt that every experience had helped shape the person she is today.
She explained that becoming independent was about deciding how she wanted to work in the future, rather than rejecting her past.
Jihyo wrote: "I have established my own company, EMITHAUS."
The name is inspired by the word 'emit', and she hopes the business will give her the chance to explore sides of herself she has yet to discover.
She also promised to take greater responsibility for her career as she moves away from the company she has known for most of her life.
And she was keen to reassure fans that the move would not affect her future with TWICE.
She wrote: "TWICE is an irreplaceable part of my life."
Jihyo added that she wanted to keep performing alongside her bandmates and making memories with them for years to come.
She also thanked the group's fans, known as ONCE, for supporting her since TWICE made their debut in 2015.
The singer spent a decade training at JYP before joining the nine-member group, which went on to achieve international success with songs including Cheer Up, Fancy and Feel Special.
She released her first solo mini album, ZONE, in 2023, with Killin' Me Good serving as its lead single.
Jihyo is the third TWICE member to leave JYP for individual activities, following Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung.
According to South Korean outlet Star News, EMITHAUS also hopes to work with other artists in the future, with plans to expand into music and other forms of content.
