With their debut seemingly pushed back time and again, YG Entertainment has confirmed that the size of the upcoming girl group has greatly diminished from the initial stages.

After the recent Big Bang Seoul concert, YG's founder Yang Hyun Suk answered questions regarding the status of the upcoming girl group, and revealed that singer Jang Hanna will not debut with the group as initially expected.

"Jang Hanna is not in the new YG girl group," said Yang according to Koreaboo. "She will debut as a solo artist."

Jang Hanna is the featured artist on Jinusean's long-awaited comeback, "Tell Me One More Time," and some observers believe her positive reception could have influenced Yang's decision to debut her as a solo artist.

The YG Entertainment CEO also revealed that the girl group will most likely consist of four or five members, as opposed to the large group concept hinted at earlier.

"We're putting a lot of an effort into this new girl group," continued Yang. "Though there were 10 candidates to start with, there are less than five now. We will be making a group that excels in every aspect."

Not including Hanna, several other known female YG trainees are expected to be candidates for the group, like Kim Jisoo.

"Kim Jisoo is a good candidate and I have a few members I've already picked out in my heart," said Yang. "I hope that we pick members who can do their job to their fullest in every situation and be able to represent YG like 2NE1. I want to release the new girl group this year."

Other YG trainees who are rumored to be part of this mysterious girl group include Jennie Kim, Lalice Manoban, Park Jinny, Park Chaeyoung, Cho Miyeon and Lee Jookyung.