The TWICE leader announced her own agency, EMITHAUS, in a handwritten letter. She’s the third member to leave JYP this year, after Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung.
TWICE leader Jihyo is leaving the only company she’s ever known. But she isn’t leaving TWICE.
Jihyo announced on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that her time with JYP Entertainment has ended after 21 years, Soompi reported. She shared the news in a handwritten letter on Instagram.
She’s starting her own company, called EMITHAUS. And she made a point of saying she’ll keep performing with TWICE.
What did Jihyo say in her letter?
She started by thanking JYP. “After 21 years, my journey with JYP Entertainment, which began when I was just a child, has come to an end,” she wrote.
“From childhood through my teenage years and into adulthood, I’ve spent most of my life at JYP,” Jihyo wrote. She said there were good days and hard ones, and every moment shaped who she is.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at JYP who has been by my side and helped me grow over the years,” she wrote.
She called independence “a choice about how I want to live going forward.”
What is EMITHAUS?
It’s Jihyo’s new company, and the first step in what she called a “new chapter.”
She explained the name in her letter. “Just as ‘EMIT’ means to ‘express or release,’ I hope this will be a place where I can freely explore,” she wrote.
She said she’ll approach every decision “with even greater thoughtfulness and responsibility” as she starts working in new ways.
Is Jihyo leaving TWICE?
No. Jihyo was clear about that.
“This decision does not mean saying goodbye to the team I’ve been part of for so long,” she wrote. “TWICE is an irreplaceable part of my life,” she added.
“I will continue to stand on stage with my members and keep building more memories together for many years to come,” she promised fans.
She also thanked ONCE, TWICE’s fandom, for sticking with her “for the past 11 years.” She said fans gave her the courage to keep moving forward.
Which TWICE members have left JYP?
Jihyo is the third TWICE member to officially leave JYP, Soompi said.
Jeongyeon went first, in August. She stayed with TWICE and signed with Varo Entertainment, the agency run by her older sister, actress Gong Seung-yeon, The Korea Times reported.
Chaeyoung followed on Aug. 13. She said she’d build her own music in her “Lil Fantasy” world, a nod to her first solo album. She also said she’d keep working with TWICE, The Korea Times reported.
In July, Complex reported that Tzuyu was also weighing a move. All nine members renewed with JYP in 2022, and those deals are winding down, Complex said.
Why are TWICE members leaving JYP?
Mostly for solo work. Korean media have described a “separate but together” setup, Complex reported. Each member would handle solo projects through her own agency while TWICE stays together as a group.
JYP has said only that TWICE was in contract talks. “TWICE is currently in a period of contract renewal discussions and is proceeding with careful deliberation,” the company told StarNews Korea, according to Complex.
What else has Jihyo done?
Plenty. She joined JYP as a trainee in 2005 and debuted with TWICE in 2015, Complex noted. She released her first solo mini-album, ZONE, in 2023.
Here’s her solo debut, “Killin’ Me Good,” from JYP Entertainment:
She also sang on a huge movie hit. Jihyo, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung recorded the TWICE version of “Takedown” for Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, Bandwagon reported. That means all three singers on that track have now left JYP.
What’s next for TWICE?
A break, for now. TWICE wrapped its sixth world tour this summer, THIS IS FOR, with 81 shows across 44 cities and regions, Complex reported. It’s the biggest tour in the group’s history.
Jihyo has said the group will take a hiatus for the rest of the year, according to Complex. When TWICE comes back, its leader will be there, just with a new company behind her.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Soompi, D Kim (Oct. 21, 2026), Jihyo’s letter and EMITHAUS
The Korea Times, via Yonhap (Aug. 13, 2026), Chaeyoung’s and Jeongyeon’s exits
Complex (July 15, 2026), the contract talks, JYP’s statement, Jihyo’s background and the tour
Bandwagon, Nash Farhan (July 8, 2025), the TWICE version of “Takedown”
JYP Entertainment on YouTube (Aug. 17, 2023), the “Killin’ Me Good” video
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