Red Velvet‘s Irene is rumored not to be renewing her contract with SM Entertainment.
According to a report from Star News Korea, Irene is likely not to be renewing her contract with SM Entertainment. This is why Red Velvet has not conducted any group activities since June 2023, when they held their R to V concert in London, England, and why they have not released any new music since December 2022.
Star News Korea also stated that the reason why only Seulgi‘s contract renewal announcement was confirmed by SM Entertainment was because each Red Velvet member joined the company at different times, and in Yeri‘s case, she debuted with Red Velvet at a different date than Seulgi, Wendy, Irene, and Joy. In addition, each member is allowed to get into contact with other agencies three months before the expiration of their contract, meaning that even though Seulgi, Wendy, Irene, and Joy debuted at the same time, they may have differing contract expiration dates.
Back in August, Red Velvet held a live broadcast stating they were working on their third full album. However, following Star News Korea’s report, fans are worried whether the planned promotions will proceed as hoped. SM Entertainment has not commented on the contract status of Irene, Wendy, Joy, or Yeri.
