Park Ji-soo, better known as Jihyo, has formally ended a 21-year association with JYP Entertainment and set up her own company, EMITHAUS, the 29-year-old announced on social media on Tuesday. She said the change will not signal the end of her role within the nine-member girl group TWICE.
Long apprenticeship, global success
Jihyo’s bond with JYP began in childhood. She was recruited into the agency in 2005 at the age of eight, after earlier spending a year as a trainee at SM Entertainment. Her training period stretched more than a decade before she debuted as TWICE’s leader and main vocalist when the group launched in 2015.
The move out of JYP concludes one of the longest continuous artist–agency relationships in K‑pop. In her departure message, Jihyo shared archival clips from her early performances at the company’s offices, underscoring how integral the agency has been to her development from a child trainee into an international pop star.
Group continuity despite individual contracts
Tensions between individual contracts and group activity have become a recurring theme in K‑pop’s maturing industry. TWICE’s nine members — Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu — renewed their collective arrangements together in 2022, clearing the so‑called seven‑year milestone that has often triggered contract reshuffles. Since then, several members have chosen to leave JYP while publicly committing to remain active with the group.
Recent departures include Jeongyeon, who officially confirmed her exit earlier this year and later signed with Varo Entertainment to pursue acting, while emphasising TWICE remains a priority. Chaeyoung also left JYP to pursue her own ventures.
What Jihyo’s next steps mean
By founding EMITHAUS, Jihyo joins a growing number of K‑pop artists who opt to establish independent management structures to gain greater control over their solo activities while preserving group commitments. She indicated in her post that forming a personal company is compatible with continuing TWICE’s group work, though she did not outline the commercial or operational details of EMITHAUS.
The development raises practical questions that will now be watched by fans and industry observers alike: how will scheduling, promotions and rights be coordinated between a member’s independent company and the group’s existing arrangements? How agencies and artists negotiate these hybrid models will shape the next phase of K‑pop’s business practices.
Industry context and implications
TWICE are among the most prominent K‑pop acts globally, and decisions by individual members naturally attract attention well beyond South Korea. The pattern of artists leaving their original agencies while remaining committed to group activity reflects a broader shift: as idols accrue experience, brand power and individual followings, many seek structures that allow for both collective and solo careers without the constraint of a single long‑term contract.
For JYP Entertainment, the departures present a test of how to maintain cohesive group activity while adapting to members’ varied career choices. For fans, the message from Jihyo — that TWICE is not ending — will be a key reassurance, even as the group’s operational model evolves.
| Key dates | |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Jihyo joins JYP Entertainment as a trainee (age 8) |
| 2015 | Debuts as leader and main vocalist of TWICE |
| 2022 | All nine members renew contracts together |
| 2026 | Jihyo confirms departure and establishes EMITHAUS |
- What happened: Jihyo has left JYP Entertainment after 21 years and launched EMITHAUS.
- What she says: She signalled this change will not dissolve TWICE.
- Wider trend: Several TWICE members have left JYP individually while committing to continue group activities.
As the situation develops, fans and industry insiders will be watching for announcements about how EMITHAUS will operate, whether Jihyo will pursue solo projects immediately, and how future TWICE activities will be co‑ordinated across differing management arrangements.
