In 2009, the Korean government created a new law restricting all K-Pop idol contracts to a maximum of 7 years. That means every group that debuted in 2014 will soon be starting contract renewal talks with their companies. If too many of these idols choose not to renew their contracts, the end could be near for these 5 groups. Do you think any of them will disband?
1. Red Velvet
Red Velvet debuted in August 2014, which means they could face disbandment as soon as August 2021.
Some fans believe the Red Velvet members could leave their company when their contracts end due to lack of good solo promotions. But there’s one thing ReVeluvs agree on—these girls have a close bond and won’t take the possibility of a disbandment lightly.
Technically, SM Entertainment rarely formally disbands its groups. But once members leave the company, it becomes far harder to organize comebacks. Unfortunately, Girls’ Generation is yet to have an OT8 comeback since Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun left the company.
Since Yeri didn’t join the group until 2015 when the group released “Ice Cream Cake”, her contract probably won’t expire until 2022.
2. GOT7
GOT7’s contract decisions will be announced sometime around January 2021, since they debuted in January 2014.
But GOT7 have spoken openly about the so-called “7-year jinx”, which claims most groups will disband by their seventh year or earlier.
In an interview before their “Spinning Top” comeback last year, GOT7 revealed that they’re not worried about the jinx. JB said all the members would find it difficult to promote alone without their teammates by their side.
All seven members share the same opinion. We plan to keep going as seven members.
GOT7’s JB
Jinyoung agreed, saying that times have changed and the 7-year jinx no longer exists.
We have close sunbaenims who have promoted for [more than 7 years] together, so we never thought, “Are we going to go our separate ways after 7 years?”
GOT7’s Jinyoung
3. MAMAMOO
MAMAMOO made their official debut in June 2014, meaning June 2021 could be their last month as a group.
All four MAMAMOO members have already started their own successful solo careers. Between them, the members have released dozens of solo songs and collabs with other artists.
Last year, Hwasa made waves with her single “Twit”, which reached #1 on the Gaon chart.
So, does that mean they’re more likely to disband or stay together? Some K-Pop fans speculate that the members may leave RBW to focus on their own music. Others believe that since the members are currently successful as soloists while pursuing a group career, they have no reason to leave their group or company in the future.
4. WINNER
WINNER was formed by YG Entertainment in 2013, but faced several delays in their debut. They finally released their first album and single in August 2014, leading fans to believe their contracts will end in August 2021.
Many WINNER fans agree that the group has been treated unfairly for years, starting right from their debut. One member, Taehyun, already left the group in 2016, explaining that he was unhappy at YG Entertainment.
And it seems that the members would agree. In 2016, WINNER made their first comeback after an alarming 1.5 year hiatus. While finally promoting on Yoo Huiyeol’s Sketchbook, WINNER’s Seunghoon warned aspiring idols to steer clear of auditioning for YG Entertainment.
If the members are still unhappy with their company, there’s a good chance they could disband next year.
5. Lovelyz
Debuting in November 2014, Lovelyz will be renegotiating their contracts and deciding whether to stay on past November 2021.
Since debut, Lovelyz has seen consistently good chart performance as a group, and the members have toured all across Asia together.
In October 2019, Lovelyz’s Kei got to release her first solo, “I Go”, along with a six-track EP.
However, some fans think that certain members may leave Woollim Entertainment in the future due to mistreatment over the last few years.
While it’s possible for one or two members to leave a group without causing a disbandment, if several members decide not to renew their contracts, it will be hard for Lovelyz to continue promoting together.
