Group (G)I-dle announced that they have renewed their contract with their agency after 7 years since their debut.

On November 30, (G)I-dle received the grand prize, the ‘Record of the Year’ trophy, at the ‘2024 Melon Music Awards’ (hereafter referred to as 2024 MMA).

Leader Jeon So-yeon said in her comments that day, “I thought about how I could receive such a big award after 7 years, and what kind of album I would have to make to receive this award.“

In particular, ”Before going up on stage today, the five members decided to renew their contracts together. Next year, the year after, for the rest of our lives, the five of us will play you good music together”,“ she added in a surprise announcement, receiving loud cheers.

Whether or not Jeon So-yeon will renew her contract was a hot topic during (G)I-dle‘s full group activities. This is because, having appeared on Mnet’s ‘Produce 101’ in January 2016 and debuted as a soloist in 2017, her exclusive contract period was different from that of the other members of (G)I-DLE. In this situation, Jeon So-yeon gave weight to the ‘group disbandment rumors’ at a world tour concert held in Seoul in August with a performance titled “My contract ends in November. Who‘s stopping me?”. After that, her contract with Cube Entertainment ended on her own in November, and she is now unaffiliated.

The day after the awards ceremony, Jeon So-yeon posted on her Instagram on the 1st, “Thank you so much to everyone who loves (G)I-DLE’s music. And I love our members the most,” he wrote, expressing his affection.

He continued, “For the past 7 years, we‘ve experienced happiness, sadness, frustration, hope, and various emotions together, and I think the five of us have become stronger. We’re friends who grew up in different environments in different countries and met as adults, so it took a while for me to say this.”

He also said, “Neverberu (fandom), you must have worried a lot!? But we all had the same thought that the five of us should be together,” and “I‘m so happy and proud that I can be the leader of a team called I-dle for a long time in the future. Thank you so much, Miyeon unnie, Minnie unnie, Yuqi, and Shuhua. I love you so much. Let’s be together with Neverberu and I-dle for the rest of our lives.”

The photo they shared was of the waiting room under the stage of the ‘2024 MMA’, where the group is holding a cake and making a wish together.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com