[Courtesy of YG Entertainment]
Iconic girl group 2NE1 was officially disbanded Friday, ending a fascinating seven-year career that has contributed to South Korea's K-pop boom.
Many fans were shocked by YG Entertainment's unexpected announcement to dissolve the group. The entertainment mogul signed solo contracts with CL and Sandara Park but kicked out Park Bom. Sandara is now in the Philippines, acting as a panel member of its audition program "Pinoy Boyband Superstar".
"The contract with 2NE1 members has already expired in May. With Minzy no longer with us, we have decided to disband 2NE1 through full discussions with other members," YG said in a statement. "We are full of sorrow and regret as 2NE1 has been a girl group representing YG in the past seven years."
Since their debut in 2009, the girls had been as an iconic girl group in South Korea's music scene, leading the global K-pop boom and maintaining their fame as the country's most loved artist group.
Minzy [Courtesy of YG Entertainment]
Rumors about their breakup had surfaced since they went on a hiatus from 2014 when Park Bom was involved in a drug scandal. In 2015, CL went solo, Sandara appeared in web-dramas and Minzy opened a dance academy. Park Bom was the only member with no activities.
Many experts and fans had believed that if someone should leave 2NE1, she would be Park Bom. Minzy betrayed their expectations and left in April. The group's future has been doomed since YG launched another girl group, Black Pink, in August, for the first time in seven years. 2NE1 used to be YG's only girl group.
[Courtesy of YG Entertainment]
While Black Pink made its explosive debut, CL has successfully made her solo debut in the United States. Her single album entered the Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the first time as a South Korean female artist. CL also achieved sold-outs in her North American tour concerts in the first two weeks of November.
Aju News Park Sae-jin and Lim Chang-won
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
