TWICE’s Jihyo leaves JYP Entertainment, launches own agency

Jihyo of K-pop girl group TWICE is leaving her longtime agency, JYP Entertainment, to establish her own agency, marking a new chapter in her career, the singer announced Wednesday.

The 29-year-old idol, whose full name is Park Ji-hyo, shared the news in a handwritten letter posted on Instagram, which was translated into English by K-pop news website Soompi.

Jihyo’s departure from JYP Entertainment, one of K-pop’s leading agencies, is particularly significant as she has been with the company for 21 years, including a decade as a trainee before debuting with TWICE.

“After 21 years, my journey with JYP Entertainment, which began when I was just a child, has come to an end,” she wrote in her letter, as translated by Soompi.

“From childhood through my teenage years and into adulthood, I’ve spent most of my life at JYP. There were good days and difficult ones, but one thing I know for certain is that every one of those moments has shaped who I am today,” she said, expressing gratitude to those at the company who had helped her “grow” over the years.

The “Killin’ Me Good” singer said she had established her own company, EMITHAUS.

“Just as ‘EMIT’ means to ‘express or release,’ I hope this will be a place where I can freely explore and bring to life even the possibilities within me that I have yet to discover,” she said.

“As I step away from a familiar environment and begin working in new ways, I will approach every decision and every endeavor with even greater thoughtfulness and responsibility,” she added.

Like her fellow TWICE members who have left JYP Entertainment, Jihyo assured fans that her departure from the agency “does not mean saying goodbye” to the group.

“TWICE is an irreplaceable part of my life,” she said. “I will continue to stand on stage with my members and keep building more memories together for many years to come.”

Jihyo is the third member of TWICE to leave JYP Entertainment following Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung.

She debuted with the group in 2015 before making her solo debut in 2023 with the extended play “Zone.”