IZ*ONE’s Miyawaki Sakura to Join Big Hit Entertainment, Group will Disband on April
Miyawaki Sakura from the South Korean-Japanese girl group IZ*ONE is reportedly joining Big Hit Entertainment after the group is officially set to disband in April as their contract extension is no longer sought.
In an exclusive report from Hangkyung, Miyawaki Sakura accordingly decided to join Big Hit Entertainment after all the IZ*ONE activities will conclude on their disbandment in April. Insiders say that Miyawaki could be one of the members of Big Hit Entertainment's future girl group after she informed some people close to her of her intent to join the label.
Big Hit Entertainment said they are still looking into the report.
Miyawaki Sakura begun her journey as part of the Japanese girl group idol "HKT48" and became one of the most famed members of the group. She then debuted with IZ*ONE when she joined "Produce 48" in 2018.
IZ*ONE will officially disband in April
In a press statement released by MNET, they announced that activities and promotions of the girl group IZ*ONE would conclude in April.
"IZ*ONE's activities will end in April as scheduled. They debuted in 2018 with COLOR*IZ and have grown into a girl group that represents Asia and have been receiving love not only from Korea, but also around the world," MNET said.
They also said that IZ*ONE's online 2-day solo concert "ONE, THE STORY" will happen on March 13 and 14. They thanked the 12 members for their "wonderful performances" and said that MNET, Off the Record, and Swing Entertainment would continuously support their growth as artists in the future.
IZ*ONE debuted in 2018 with 12 members, namely Jang Won-young, Sakura Miyawaki, Jo Yu-ri, Choi Ye-na, An Yu-jin, Nako Yabuki, Kwon Eun-bi, Kang Hye-won,Hitomi Honda, Kim Chae-won, Kim Min-ju, and Lee Chae-yeon. The group is managed by Off the Record and Swing Entertainment, who formed the group through the MNET reality competition show "Produce 48".
