Jihyo, leader of K-pop girl group Twice, announced on Wednesday (Oct 21) that she has left South Korean agency JYP Entertainment, making her the latest member of the group to do so.
Jihyo, whose full name is Park Ji-hyo, also announced that she has established her own agency, Emithaus.
In a post on her Instagram page, the 29-year-old singer said: "I will be bringing my journey with JYP, which has been with me since childhood for 21 years, to a close.
"There were good days and days that weren't so good, but one thing is certain: all those experiences have made me who I am today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at JYP who stood by me for so long and helped me grow. I will cherish the time we spent together and the feelings we shared for a long time to come."
She added: "To me, becoming independent is less about drawing a conclusion to the time that has passed and more about making a choice about how I want to live the years ahead."
"As I move beyond familiar surroundings and continue my work in new ways, I will approach every decision and activity from here on with even greater care and a stronger sense of responsibility."
Jihyo also clarified that her decision to leave JYP Entertainment "does not mean parting ways with the group that has been with [her] for so long".
"Twice is an irreplaceable and precious part of my life. Just as I look back fondly on the time we have spent together, I am looking forward to the time we will share in the future.
"I hope to continue standing on the same stage as the members and to carry on creating precious memories together for a long time to come."
Jihyo is known for having one of the longest trainee periods in K-pop, having joined JYP Entertainment at just eight years old and spending a decade as a trainee before debuting as a Twice member in 2015. With Twice now in their 11th year, Jihyo has spent 21 years with the agency.
Jihyo’s departure from JYP Entertainment comes after similar announcements from her fellow Twice groupmates Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung.
Jeongyeon has joined South Korean agency Varo Entertainment to pursue an acting career. The agency also manages her sister Gong Seung-yeon and actor Byeon Woo-seok.
Chaeyoung is working on her Lil Fantasy project.
With this, the status of the remaining six Twice members' solo contracts – Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun and Tzuyu – is left to be revealed.