Musician duo AKMU will be leaving YG Entertainment and going independent. According to an Xports News report on November 21, it has been confirmed that AKMU will end their exclusive contract with YG Entertainment at the end of December this year and will choose independence rather than transferring to another agency.
It is reported that AKMU is currently in discussions with a longtime YG Entertainment manager about establishing their own independent company. A music industry insider stated that Yang Hyun Suk is supportive of their decision
“A few months ago, Lee Chan Hyuk, Lee Soo Hyun, and executive producer Yang Hyun Suk had a meal together, and the conversation naturally shifted to the future direction of AKMU’s activities. Having watched the members closely for 12 years, Producer Yang is said to have expressed the opinion that free activity in a new environment outside of YG would become another driving force for AKMU’s growth, and he supported their decision to go independent.”
AKMU won first place on SBS’s audition program K-Pop Star Season 2 in 2012, gaining public attention for their outstanding songwriting, composing, and vocal abilities. They signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment in 2014 and officially debuted, and in 2019, they changed their official group name to “AKMU,” under which they have continued to promote.
Previously, in 2021, when their initial 7-year contract with YG Entertainment expired, AKMU showed strong loyalty by renewing their contract. Now, as AKMU concludes their 12-year partnership with YG Entertainment, attention is focused on what path they will take next.
