(Photo courtesy of JYP ENTERTAINMENT)

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter JUNG JUNHWA] In October 2015, TWICE debuted in nine colors through the survival show 'SIXTEEN.' Now in their 11th year since debut, the group once again stands at a crossroads over contract renewal. As one of K-POP’s representative girl groups, their second contract renewal discussions are drawing attention from both the industry and fans.

 

On the 11th, TWICE member JEONGYEON announced that she had left JYP ENTERTAINMENT and signed with VARO ENTERTAINMENT, where her older sister Gong Seung-yeon is also signed. Since then, intense interest has focused on the future paths of the TWICE members.

 

▶︎ Two seven-year periods, and a choice faced once again

 

For TWICE, contract renewal is not an unfamiliar gateway. In 2022, when the group reached the expiration point of its first contract, often called the “seven-year curse,” all nine members renewed their contracts with JYP ENTERTAINMENT, preserving the full group. At the time, a full-member contract renewal by a girl group in its seventh year was regarded as an exceptional achievement in itself.

 

Time has passed again since then, and with the expiration point of the contracts signed in 2022 approaching, TWICE is now sitting at the table for its second contract renewal in 2026. The moment carries special meaning, as it comes after the group passed its 10th debut anniversary last year and recently completed its world tour successfully.

 

▶︎ “Four-member departure rumors”…Looking at each member

 

Behind the attention on this round of discussions are observations about some members’ “individual paths.” Multiple media outlets have reported that four of the nine members, JIHYO, TZUYU, CHAEYOUNG, and JEONGYEON, are seeking new paths for their individual activities.

 

Leader JIHYO joined JYP as a trainee in 2005 and has been with the company for more than 20 years, and the possibility of her establishing a one-person agency for individual activities has been mentioned. For TZUYU, there has been talk of carrying out individual activities through a company established by her mother while continuing group activities as before. CHAEYOUNG is said to have contacted and held meetings with outside agencies for individual activities, while JEONGYEON has signed with VARO ENTERTAINMENT, where her older sister, actress Gong Seung-yeon, is also signed.

 

The common premise is that this is “not a group departure.” The key is a so-called “separate but together” structure, in which individual activities are carried out flexibly through each member’s own channel while activities as TWICE are maintained. No specific information has been revealed about the other members, NAYEON, MOMO, SANA, MINA, and DAHYUN, and some interpret NAYEON’s message after the end of the world tour, “Let’s meet again with an even cooler side,” as placing weight on the continuation of the team.

 

▶︎ JYP says, “We are in the contract renewal discussion period…Nothing has been confirmed”
 

 

Regarding these observations, JYP ENTERTAINMENT is maintaining a cautious position. The agency stated, “TWICE is currently in the contract renewal discussion period, and discussions are being carried out carefully,” adding, “We will announce matters once they are confirmed.” The company’s explanation is that no specific member’s departure or failure to renew has been officially confirmed.

 

Another reason TWICE’s current discussions are drawing attention is that they show a change in the grammar of K-POP contract renewals. In the past, contract renewals were close to a binary choice of “everyone stays” or “the full group disbands.” Recently, however, a structure in which group activities remain with the existing agency while individual activities are divided into separate channels has been establishing itself as one option.

 

This aligns with the trend of individual members expanding their areas of activity as actors, solo artists, entrepreneurs, and more. For the company, it can protect the team’s brand value while respecting each member’s individual growth, and for the members, it is seen as a “win-win” model that allows them to design their own careers without breaking up the full group. TWICE’s decision is expected to serve as one reference case for other teams that will face similar gateways in the future.

 

▶︎ Beyond 10 years, TWICE’s next chapter

 

What is clear is that TWICE is still talking about its future as a team. The very fact that the group is discussing a second contract renewal after passing 10 years since debut proves the weight of the time and teamwork they have built.

 

The form of the next chapter the nine members will draw has not yet been confirmed. However, depending on how the will to preserve the full group and the challenge toward each member’s growth are coordinated, TWICE is expected to once again present a new standard for the long run of K-POP girl groups.

 

joonamana@hanteo.com