The remaining members of iKON have parted ways with longtime agency YG Entertainment.
In a statement posted to Weverse earlier today (December 30), YG Entertainment announced that the agency and group have “mutually agreed” to end iKON’s exclusive contract, following a “long and careful discussion” with the group’s members.
As per a notification shared through Weverse, @YG_iKONIC has ended its contract with @ygent_official as a group. They are the latest K-pop team to leave their foundational company and declare intentions to remain active, without the major legal battles of the past hindering them pic.twitter.com/VDyhzKCpYR
— Tamar Herman (@TamarWrites) December 30, 2022
The statement added that iKON will not be disbanding following their departure from the agency. In addition, the group will continue to use iKON’s existing official social media platforms, including Weverse, for future group announcements and correspondences with fans.
“We would like to express sincere appreciation to iKON for being with us as YG artist,” the agency’s statement reads. “YG Entertainment will always look forward to their activities in diverse fields and wish the best for the members in the future.”
iKON debuted as a seven-member unit with album ‘Welcome Back’ in 2015, following appearances on reality television shows WIN: Who Is Next and Mix & Match in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In 2019, B.I parted ways with the group and the agency following drug-related allegations against him.
Months before their departure from YG Entertainment, iKON had released their fourth mini-album ‘Flashback’, led by title track ‘But You’. The record was the follow-up to 2020’s ‘I Decide’, and came after a year after the release of digital single ‘Why Why Why’ in 2021.