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(Photo courtesy of JYP ENTERTAINMENT)<\/p>\n
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[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\u2019s representative girl groups, their second contract renewal discussions are drawing attention from both the industry and fans.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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\u25b6\ufe0e Two seven-year periods, and a choice faced once again<\/p>\n
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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 \u201cseven-year curse,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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\u25b6\ufe0e \u201cFour-member departure rumors\u201d\u2026Looking at each member<\/p>\n
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Behind the attention on this round of discussions are observations about some members\u2019 \u201cindividual paths.\u201d Multiple media outlets have reported that four of the nine members, JIHYO, TZUYU, CHAEYOUNG, and JEONGYEON, are seeking new paths for their individual activities.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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The common premise is that this is \u201cnot a group departure.\u201d The key is a so-called \u201cseparate but together\u201d structure, in which individual activities are carried out flexibly through each member\u2019s 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\u2019s message after the end of the world tour, \u201cLet\u2019s meet again with an even cooler side,\u201d as placing weight on the continuation of the team.<\/p>\n
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\u25b6\ufe0e JYP says, \u201cWe are in the contract renewal discussion period\u2026Nothing has been confirmed\u201d
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Regarding these observations, JYP ENTERTAINMENT is maintaining a cautious position. The agency stated, \u201cTWICE is currently in the contract renewal discussion period, and discussions are being carried out carefully,\u201d adding, \u201cWe will announce matters once they are confirmed.\u201d The company\u2019s explanation is that no specific member\u2019s departure or failure to renew has been officially confirmed.<\/p>\n
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Another reason TWICE\u2019s 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 \u201ceveryone stays\u201d or \u201cthe full group disbands.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s brand value while respecting each member\u2019s individual growth, and for the members, it is seen as a \u201cwin-win\u201d model that allows them to design their own careers without breaking up the full group. TWICE\u2019s decision is expected to serve as one reference case for other teams that will face similar gateways in the future.<\/p>\n
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\u25b6\ufe0e Beyond 10 years, TWICE\u2019s next chapter<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s growth are coordinated, TWICE is expected to once again present a new standard for the long run of K-POP girl groups.<\/p>\n
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