G-FRIEND officially disbanded on May 22, 2021. Source Music, their agency, released a statement on May 18, 2021, that they weren’t going to extend their contract. By that, G-FRIEND members will go on their own. Here are the activities of G-FRIEND members after the disbandment:
Sowon signed with 10K Entertainment to be an actress. Yuju signed with KONNECT Entertainment as a solo artist. Yerin signed with Sublime Artist Agency (SAA) as a solo artist. Eunha, SinB, and Umji signed with BPM Entertainment and re-debuted as a group called Viviz.
Let’s find out more about G-FRIEND’s disbandment in this article below so you can get detailed information about it.
G-FRIEND’s Disbandment: Source Music Didn’t Extend Their Contract
The girl group under Source Music, G-FRIEND, reportedly disbanded for failing to agree on a contract extension with the agency. According to an exclusive report from Tenasia, the members of G-FRIEND will be separating and not renewing their contract with Source Music. The following is a statement from the agency: “Hello. This is Source Music. The exclusive artist contracts with G-FRIEND and Source Music will conclude on May 22. After careful consideration and extensive discussions, G-FRIEND and Source Music have reached an agreement to follow separate paths towards sustainable growth.” Even so, the sudden disbandment shocked fans and non-fans. People started to wonder whether the disbandment was caused by the agency’s bad treatment or not. Let’s see the details below!
Source Music’s Bad Treatment Caused G-FRIEND to Disband?
Some fans stated that it was not disbandment but simply G-FRIEND choose not to renew as a group with Source Music due to their bad treatment. Fans are sure that G-FRIEND has the desire to remain as a group. Here is the interview where G-FRIEND members hinted that their agency treated them so bad:
Many Korean fans became heartbroken when they realized the treatment that G-FRIEND received from their agency. Fans hope their future will be better after leaving the agency.
Buddy’s Reaction About G-FRIEND’s Sudden Disbandment
G-FRIEND fans were shocked by the sudden disbandment announcement by Source Music on May 18, 2021. Fans gathered and wrote a statement of their dissatisfaction. The following contains the points of their complaint against Source Music. “I’m not even a fan and I’m so upset, I can’t imagine how hard it is for fans to have to accept this now,” commented a netizen. “I’m sad and I’m not even a fan, it must be very sad for the fans,” added another. “I’m not a fan but this still really surprises me. I feel like crying,” wrote a netizen. “But wow, is their agency really not going to give fans feedback until the end? Disbandment is really unnecessary,” said another. “I think Source Music is doing very well as a middle-class agency but I don’t think I can support them any longer. I will support G-FRIEND until the end and wait for them no matter what. I just hope the members don’t cry about this now,” concluded another.
G-FRIEND’s Members Wrote Farewell Letters After the Group Officially Disbanded
On May 19, 2021, the six members uploaded individual handwritten letters via Weverse discussing their disbandment and their careers so far. The letters express the members’ feelings after the disbandment and expressed gratitude for Buddy’s support all this time. Here are G-FRIEND’s handwritten letters alongside the translation in English:
G-FRIEND’s Members’ Activities After The Group’s Disbandment
After G-FRIEND’s disbandment, all members signed with a new agency one by one. Unfortunately, they couldn’t sign a new contract with a new agency as a group. But still, each of the members follows the path that they desire.
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Let’s see what Sowon, Yuju, Yerin, SinB, Eunha, and Umji are doing after G-FRIEND’s disbandment!
Sowon (Kim So-jung) Joins IOK Company and Became an Actress
On July 29, 2021, it was reported that Sowon was in talks to join a new agency. Sowon is said to be part of the IOK Company agency. A source revealed that Sowon has not signed a contract with IOK Company yet. However, the beautiful idol has finished making a verbal agreement. IOK Company itself is an entertainment company that houses well-known actors including Jo In-sung, Go Hyun-jung, Kim Ha-neul, famous singer Jang Yoon-jung, former Secret’s member Jeon Hyosung, and more. IOK Company also recently acquired YNK Entertainment, home to actresses Shin Hye-sun and Kim Hyun-joo. On August 2, 2021, the news was finally confirmed by IOK Entertainment through an official statement, “Sowon, who is loved as the leader of G-FRIEND, will change her name to Kim So-jung and take a new step with IOK Company,” the agency stated. They will give support to Kim So-jung who will be in the world of acting. “We support Kim So-jung who has unlimited potential to develop her talents as an actress.” IOK Company also seems to have followed Kim So-jung’s social media account and released her latest photo.
Yuju Joins KONNECT Entertainment
In September 2021, Yuju officially signed with KONNECT Entertainment. After leaving Source Music, Yuju started his solo career by filling in the soundtrack of the drama Bossam: Steal the Fate and also releasing a duet with San E. She is now under the same agency as former 2NE1 member CL. “We recently signed an exclusive contract with Yuju who has a unique and powerful voice,” said KONNECT Entertainment as reported by Newsen via Naver. “She has proven her potential as an artist. We will continue to support her with optimized management so that she can fully express her potential,” the agency said. Not only that but Yuju also expressed her feelings about joining the agency founded by Kang Daniel. She claimed to feel safe joining KONNECT Entertainment. “I feel safe working with KONNECT Entertainment. I want to approach the public in a new way with an honest image and diverse music,” Yuju said. On January 18, 2022, Yuju released her solo debut, “Play.” Here is the music video of Yuju’s debut song!
Yerin Signed with Sublime Artist Agency and Debut as an Actress
In June 2021, Yerin officially signed with Sublime Artist Agency. She also starred in a web drama called Witch Shop Reopen which will be aired in 2022. Meanwhile, Yerin said she was happy because she could show a new image to her fans. “Although I’m very nervous because it’s my first time introducing myself as an actress, I will work hard to show a good image. Please give me a lot of support,” Yerin said. Sublime Artist Agency is currently home to a number of well-known artists in Korea such as Rain, Song Kang-ho, EXID’s Hani, T-ARA’s Hyomin, and Lim Nayoung. SAA also now oversees Choi Young-jae or GOT7’s Youngjae and works closely with GOT7’s Jackson‘s TEAM WANG.
SinB, Eunha, and Umji Signed with BPM Entertainment and Re-Debut as VIVIZ
The rest of G-FRIEND members, SinB, Eunha, and Umji signed with BPM or Big Planet Made Entertainment and formed a three-member group called VIVIZ. SinB, Eunha, and Umji officially signed the contract on October 6, 2021. VIVIZ officially debuted on February 9, 2022, by releasing the first single called, “Bop Bop!” in a mini-album called Beam of Prism. Here is the music video of VIVIZ’s debut song!
Well, that was all of the information about G-FRIEND’s disbandment and everything you should know about the members’ decision to continue their career journeys on different paths. Even so, let’s continue to provide support for G-FRIEND’s members so that they remain enthusiastic in carrying out daily activities and their work. Let’s wait patiently until they reunite again in the future. If you like this article, don’t forget to share it on your social media and wait for another interesting article from Channel-Korea!
