Each of the GFRIEND members have shared a handwritten letter following the announcement of their departure from Source Music.
The letters were posted by each member on GFRIEND’s Weverse page, and the members thanked their fans for their support, apologized for the sudden announcement, and shared their plans for the future.
Sowon apologized to BUDDY for the sudden news and mentioned that while it may be the end of GFRIEND as a group, she is looking forward to the new start and her next steps within the industry.
Hello BUDDY, this is Sowon.
I made my dream-like debut in January 2015. I was so lucky to be able to meet BUDDY during my lifetime. I received so much love from you, that I was thinking whether I deserved to receive all of your love. To be honest, I am not a person with high self-esteem, so there would obviously be some difficult times. But I think that everything that happened was an opportunity for me to learn and grow one step more, thanks to BUDDY.
Our fans said they would always be happy and proud of us no matter what, but I’m not sure if I was able to fulfill that well. But I am sure that the time I spent with you was so precious, and I am so grateful for that. It’s a pity that we can’t see each other more often and that I wasn’t able to do better [for BUDDY], but this is not the end, rather the start of a time where I can go out and try more things to fill up the space.
Officially, my time with GFRIEND has ended, but we are not done, so please don’t take it too hard, BUDDY. It’s hard to share the time we spent together through a letter, but as always, even if I don’t say everything, you guys know my heart better than anyone else. I am a little worried that I can’t continue on this new path, but I will move forward, trying my best while thinking of our BUDDY who have always given us their support.
I am sorry to the BUDDY who must have been surprised by the sudden news. I love you all, and I will repay you with an even better image.
— Sowon
SinB apologized for being unable to keep her promise to BUDDY, and promised she will never forget the memories she made with the fans.
Hello, this is GFRIEND’s SinB.
My heart hurts to be delivering this sudden news through a letter I am writing to BUDDY after such a long time. I thought for a long time how to tell you this news, and wanted to be very careful in bringing it up. My love for BUDDY was so great, I feel like it was because of you that I was able to bloom [as SinB]. I was so happy to receive so much love and support from BUDDY, who have been my strong supporters and the driving force for me during my past 6 years as GFRIEND’s SinB. I am so thankful that I was able to perform such good songs.
Every time I see your letters, hear your cheers, see your warm glances, I felt like I was able to grow and discover more about myself. The happy moments and the things fans wanted to share with me first during our promotions are what I think helped me carry out our past promotions well. I am so sad and so sorry that I wasn’t able to keep my promise to you, my promises that I habitually say, that we would see each other for a long time as GFRIEND. I know the weight of these words well, and I will work hard to make sure it won’t be dismissed easily.
I’ll never forget all of the activities we had, and the love from my fans. I will cherish all of the memories with a thankful heart, and slowly repay you with my individual activities in the future. The past six years was the happiest time for me, and I wouldn’t change it for anything else. I would like to thank Source Music, who made me a part of GFRIEND even though I was lacking. I am so thankful, and sorry to BUDDY and my members, the time we spent together was like a dream, and I love you all.
Thank you for reading my long letter. Please stay healthy until we can meet again.
— SinB
Yuju mentioned how she wanted to show off the best image possible for BUDDY, and how it was an honor to perform for them.
Hello, this is GFRIEND’s Yuju.
I have been a person who shares my feelings with you through posts, but I think this is the first time I am writing a letter with so many thoughts and memories with it.
I was worried that BUDDY would have been surprised, and I feel heavy-hearted just imagining how you would feel. Every day I spent as a member of GFRIEND was so precious thanks to BUDDY, and I wanted to show the best of myself as a gift to BUDDY, so I spent six years, steadily improving my talents and improving. During that time, we laughed together and cried together. I want to thank you all again.
You guys gave us so much love, I can’t calculate it. I thought about that a lot while looking back at our past memories together. It was an even more beautiful time with the members, and it was such an honor to be able to sing and dance in front of you guys. Thank you for loving GFRIEND all this time.
Our BUDDY, the most precious people in the world, I will never forget your expressions, gazes, and cheers as we stood on the stage performing in front of you. I will never forget that, and I will hold it in the warmest place within my heart. Thank you for protecting me and not letting me break, a person who isn’t as strong. I will continue to show you my growth so that [GFRIEND] ending doesn’t conclude with only sadness.
— Yuju
Umji shared her feelings about her debut, and how the fans were able to join her in her growth. She also mentioned that while she is scared for her new start, BUDDY being there will be a huge source of support.
Hello, it’s GFRIEND’s Umji.
This life that I have known for the past 6 years is coming to an end, as I greet you all with gratitude and regret. The time has come for my members and to begin a bit of a new journey. My journey began when I was still lacking in so many ways, but this time has made me realize many things. It was also a precious time where I learned a lot of things as well. I am so grateful for you all, who watched me grow up in front of you as you encouraged me and expressed your happiness for me.
When I first debuted, I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. Even when it felt like the wheels were turning in no direction, at some point, I realized I was walking on an amazing path, which had so much meaning to me. I was able to feel these things one by one as I worked and experienced these things. I think I was able to work with an even more grateful and excited mindset because of it.
The biggest reason behind these feelings are our fans, Buddy whom I love very very much! Honestly, even if I tried to relay these greetings well, my heart breaks thinking about the BUDDY who I know will do whatever it takes to make sure we feel happy and encouraged. I’m also greatly apologetic thinking about trying to feel what you must all be feeling. I wish I could hug all of you BUDDY right now, since none of you were prepared for this heartbreaking goodbye.
I’m so thankful, grateful and will always be thankful.
Even though everything may seem normal and similar to the way things were before, I’m realizing that I will be embarking on a new journey, which makes me a bit fearful. However, I am going to do my best on my new path for all of you who are watching me. In conclusion, I want to thank all of the staff and Source Music employees who worked endlessly for GFRIEND! Thank you for everything that you’ve done.
Finally, I want to say I love you and thank you to my precious members who have been with me through thick and thin. If it weren’t for you guys, I would have never been able to experience anything. To our BUDDY, I want to say once again how much I miss you and love you. I pray from the bottom of my heart that you will all have happy and free lives. Thank you.
— Umji
Eunha shared her thoughts about the amount of love BUDDY showered her with, and how the past six years were the most beautiful years of her life.
Hello, this is GFRIEND’s Eunha.
I am sad that we have to bring bad news to our fans, because you must have been looking forward to [what we had to say]. I always am thinking ‘what should I say to make our BUDDY happy?’ but now that I have to think of what to say to try and comfort our BUDDY, every word I write feels heavy..
I think I am so lucky that I was able to find our fans who would give us strength through their cheers and support whenever I think about it. Even though I was lacking, you gave me so much love and always believed in me, so I wanted to become an even better person.
‘I am a person that is receiving this much love, I am this happy, but I am not as great of a person as our BUDDY think of me as, can I enjoy this kind of gift they are giving me?’ I have had these thoughts since I debuted, during all of our promotions, fan meetings, concerts, all the time. But all of these moments were possible because you, our BUDDY, cheered and supported us. I’m so thankful I was able to sing good songs for you, and I am happy that I was able to shine thanks to all of you who recognized us. This was the most beautiful and happy six years. That fact will never change.
I wish nothing but the best for BUDDY in the future, BUDDY I will love for the rest of my life. I sincerely hope it will be full of smiles rather than tears. Thank you BUDDY so much for being GFRIEND’s trusty support. Please always stay healthy and happy. I sincerely pray that will happen.
Wherever and whenever, I will work hard to be able to show you my singing again. I will do my best to repay you all for the love and support you have given me. Up until now, this has been GFRIEND. Thank you, and I love you BUDDY.
— Eunha
Yerin thanked BUDDY for all of the memories they helped create over the past six years, and expressed her love for BUDDY will never change.
Hello, this is GFRIEND’s Yerin.
It’s been a while since I left a handwritten message, but I have a heavy heart because of this letter.
I have decided to leave Source Music, my home from when I was 18 to 26. From debuting at the age of 20 until now, it was all because of my GFRIEND members who I could always lean on and were like family, our BUDDY who gave us so much love, and the Source Music family who worked harder than anyone else.
Thoughts like ‘the past six years, is it even real?’ come up because things that feel like dreams happened. I received so much love, I thought I was receiving too much. And I thought I didn’t deserve that much love, so I tried to take good care of myself and repay you all for that love with great performances. These experiences that won’t be able to occur again are definitely unforgettable memories for me.
Thank you for sending me your love, no matter what happened. I think it was because of BUDDY that I was able to make it all the way to the point I was at. In the future, I will not forget these moments and I will work hard. Thank you for creating such great memories during my 20s. I loved you, and I will continue to love you all in the future.
I would like to thank my members, our BUDDY, and the Source Music family again.
— Yerin
Back on May 17, Source Music dropped the unexpected and shocking news that GFRIEND would be leaving the agency as they failed to agree on contract renewals.
