The four-member girl group
Wonder Girls announced they are going to split up after they release their final single. The K-pop sensation who rose to international fame with their hit single "Nobody" have decided to disband after 10 years in business.
The announcement comes after rumors of the group going on separate ways sparked by the members' contracts being about to expire. The news were confirmed by the South Korean company JYP Entertainment and said that the decision had come up after much discussion among the members and their agency.
But not all Wonder Girls members are leaving showbiz. According to JYP, the band members Yubin and Hyerim will stay with the agency and will still pursue their career in singing, acting and emceeing. The other members Yeeun and Sunmi, however, have decided to leave the company to start on a new path.
Although these are sad news for the world of K-pop, at least there is a final digital single to look forward to which marks the 10th anniversary of their debut in the industry. The statement affirmed the song is their way of thanking the fans who have supported them in the past decade.
The band made their debut back in 2007 and became one of the most popular K-pop groups in Korea. They had released a total of three studio albums, which are "The Wonder Years" (2007), "Wonder World" (2011) and "Reboot" (2015).
Since the announcement of their break up, Wonder Girls fans took to social media to express their love for the four-member group. The members of the band also left farewell messages for their fans in a video.
Some of the comments fans left for Wonder Girls in social media include:
"Because of ‘Nobody' now y'll know K-pop. Thank you Wonder Girls"
"Wonder Girls, 2Ne1, and Sistar were the groups that I knew before I even got into K-pop and this doesn't feel real."
"Secret, Kara, Rainbow, 4minute, 2Ne1, IOI, the Ark, and now Wonder Girls. K-pop is over."
"2Ne1 then Wonder Girls... This is really heartbreaking. They are the groups which songs were played in the radio internationally."
The full statement from JYP Entertainment, is as follows:
"We are here to announce the disbandment of the group that has been always with us for the last ten years, Wonder Girls. The members have talked amongst themselves and with the company for a long time and the [girls] decided to disband. Yubin and Hyelim have renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment and will continue their activities in music and acting as well as other fields. Yeeun and Sunmi have decided to pave a new path for themselves and have regretfully decided to leave the company. As a thanks to all the fans who have been with them for 10 years, they have decided to release their last digital single on their 10th year anniversary, February 10th. We would like to thank the fans of Wonder Girls all over the world who stuck by Wonder Girls in their 10 year-long journey, and promise to help and support both the members who are leaving and staying to help make their future better. Thank You."