TWICE Jihyo Leaves JYP After 21 Years, Starts EMITHAUS

On Wednesday, Jihyo posted a handwritten letter to Instagram saying her 21 years at JYP Entertainment, which began when she was a child, are over. The TWICE leader has founded her own company, EMITHAUS, and says she is staying in the group.

In the letter, translated by Soompi, she wrote that "EMIT" means to express or release, and that she hopes the company will be a place to freely explore possibilities she has yet to discover. Yonhap, via The Korea Times, reported that the 29-year-old plans to pursue a solo music career through EMITHAUS while continuing TWICE activities.

She addressed the group directly. The decision, she wrote, "does not mean saying goodbye to the team" she has been part of for so long, and she said she will keep performing on stage with her members. She also thanked ONCE, the fandom, for 11 years of support.

JYP had not issued a public statement on the letter in the coverage reviewed. In July, JoyNews24 reported that Jihyo planned to leave and set up a one-person agency. JYP's reply at the time was that TWICE was in contract renewal talks and that it would give an official statement once the matter was finalized.

Jihyo joined JYP as a trainee at age eight, trained for about a decade, and debuted in 2015 as TWICE's leader and main vocalist. The group formed on the survival show "Sixteen" and debuted that October with "Like Ooh-Ahh," which puts the letter one day after the group's 11th debut anniversary. The 21-year figure is Jihyo's own count in the letter. She is the third member to leave the agency in 72 days. Jeongyeon announced her exit on August 10 and signed with VARO Entertainment, the home of her sister, actress Gong Seung-yeon, to focus on acting while continuing group work. Chaeyoung followed on August 13, after 14 years, and introduced a solo project called LIL FANTASY. Each letter said the same thing about the group: it stays.

TWICE last renewed contracts as a full nine-member group in 2022, when JYP said all members re-signed ahead of the expiration that autumn. This year's renewal period is the second. JYP has not announced where Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun and Tzuyu stand.

Jihyo's letter names no release and no date, and neither Soompi nor the Korea Times gave a timeline for EMITHAUS's first project. It does say where she expects to be: on stage with TWICE.