Twice and Once will face a mutual challenge. Following Twice's first contract renewal in 2022, their contracts were expected to expire in October 2025. However, at that time, Twice was just launching their 10th-anniversary special album and their sixth world tour. Consequently, the industry speculated that the members most likely signed a "temporary contract" with JYP Entertainment, extending until the end of the 10th-anniversary promotions. With the conclusion of the final encore concert in Seoul, the time has come to face this harsh reality.
As of now, four out of the nine members have been reported to not be renewing their contracts and will be leaving their management agency, JYP. These include leader Jihyo, and members CHAEYOUNG, TZUYU, and JEONGYEON. What exactly does the future hold for Twice? The following is an in-depth analysis of the potential individual and group developments for each member.
K-pop Contract Regulations
First and foremost, almost all K-pop groups operate on a cycle where they decide whether to renew their contracts every 3 or 5 years after the initial 7-year debut contract expires. A member's contract is divided into two parts: a group contract and an individual contract. Highly popular groups almost always choose to renew their group contracts but forgo renewing their individual contracts. This occurs when both the individual and the group have reached a certain height, and the artists desire—and believe—that their individual development should take priority over group activities, leading them to transfer their individual contracts elsewhere to seek greater freedom for personal growth. Consequently, after making such a choice, what is observed is an increase in individual activities and a decrease, or even complete absence, of group activities.
For instance, after Blackpink's 7-year contract expired in 2023, negotiations extended from July until the end of the year, ultimately resulting in an official announcement that none of the members would sign individual activity contracts. Following this upheaval, Blackpink has made only one group comeback over a span of three years. An example of choosing not to renew both the group contract and the individual contract is former NCT member Mark, who established his own independent studio after leaving the agency to fully commit to his individual development. On the other hand, there are also groups that continuously choose to renew all contracts, such as Seventeen and NCT 127, both of which completed their renewals a while ago.
The Future of Twice
Leader Jihyo has recently been reported by South Korean media to have definitely decided against renewing her individual exclusive contract with JYP. Upon leaving JYP, she plans to establish her own independent company to launch solo and other individual activities. As the leader, the members once mentioned on a show that during the first contract renewal, the leader was the person who worked the hardest, mediating between the agency and the members. Furthermore, the leader is required to prioritize the team over individual interests most of the time. Consequently, throughout her 21 years at JYP, Jihyo's individual resources have been few and far between.
In May of this year, Yoo Jeongyeon was reported to have been in contact with Varo Entertainment, the agency housing her older sister, Gong Seung-yeon, as well as the highly popular actor Byeon Woo-seok. This year, her sister Gong Seung-yeon and Byeon Woo-seok co-starred in the new drama 21st Century Prince's Wife alongside IU. The massive hit of the drama closely coincided with the timing of Jeongyeon's report. Following the news, a magazine cover collaboration for the two sisters with Tiffany & Co. jewelry was swiftly finalized. Therefore, in terms of resources and the agency's current status, Varo Entertainment stands out as an excellent choice.
Tzuyu, the Taiwanese member, was photographed as early as June last year returning to Taiwan to meet with her parents and Alvin Chang, a prominent high-level executive in the Mandopop industry. Since the beginning of this year, she has not only secured the brand ambassadorship for 7-Eleven Taiwan, but her parents also established "Yuhai Entertainment" in May. During the Kaohsiung Music Festival in Taiwan in early July, Alvin Chang accompanied her throughout the entire event. This series of intensive local commercial activities and events indicates a high probability that Tzuyu will sign with her parents' new company and shift her career focus back to the Chinese-speaking market.
Chaeyoung has been rumored to be in contact with entertainment agencies within the industry, though no further details have been revealed at this time. Chaeyoung's attempted solo comeback in 2025 earned a score of 8.2 from Pitchfork, and achieved excellent results in digital streaming and album sales. Having always possessed a highly distinctive personal style, Chaeyoung may choose to continue her development as a solo artist.
Currently, there are sporadic reports suggesting that Dahyun is in contact with acting agencies to prepare for an official transition into acting, while Mina is discreetly looking into domestic agencies in Japan. However, these movements have not yet been formally reported by mainstream media and remain in a state of observation.
Among the remaining members, the Misamo unit—composed of the three Japanese members—has consistently developed well as singers in Japan. Whether in terms of sub-unit musical resources or commercial endorsements, they occupy a significant market share in Japan. For them, continuing to rely on the mature platforms of JYP and Warner Music Japan remains the optimal choice for maintaining their dominance in the Japanese market.
Meanwhile, since Nayeon fired the first shot for Twice's solos in 2022, she has continuously broken the highest ranking and sales records for K-pop female solo artists. Her individual commercial value has been thoroughly validated by the market, making it highly probable that she will continue to remain with JYP and firmly hold her position as the core solo female vocalist.
Taking the current situation into account, Twice's individual contracts will most likely be separated, with the majority no longer being signed under JYP, whereas the group contract will continue indefinitely.
As a legendary girl group that has walked hand-in-hand for a decade, the fact that all nine members have managed to stay together cleanly up to this point is already no easy feat in K-pop history. For Once, even though group comebacks may no longer be as frequent as before, seeing the members choose the direction of development that they desire most and fits them best might just be the finest graduation gift for the 10th anniversary.
