Following the news that a third member of the K-pop vocal group 2AM will not continue under JYP Entertainment, leader Jo Kwon is gaining attention for remaining loyal to the agency.

On August 5, Jo Kwon became the only member of 2AM at JYP Entertainment. The quintet had been formed in collaboration with JYP and Big Hit Entertainment, but three of the members are no longer signed to the agency.

Jo's loyalty to JYP Entertainment has garnered a lot of attention, and Korean netizens are comparing the idol to Kangta of SM Entertainment.

According to Netizenbuzz, Koreans commenting on articles regarding Changmin's departure said things like, "He [Jo Kwon] is like SM's Kangta, I suppose."

Prior to debuting as a member of 2AM, Jo Kwon trained under JYP Entertainment for seven years. 2AM debuted in 2008 with Jo as the leader, and he became a popular vocalist and variety show guest throughout the years. In total, Jo has been involved with JYP for a period around fourteen years and is the only member of his group to have a contract with JYP Entertainment at this time.

In comparison, Kangta has been under SM Entertainment for over twenty years, after he was discovered at the age of 13. He debuted with H.O.T in 1996, and is the only member of H.O.T to remain with the agency since the group debuted in 2006.

Following the news of 2AM's Changmin not renewing his contract with JYP Entertainment, Korean netizens speculated that Jo will take on a role similar to that of Kangta's within SM Entertainment. In 2014, Kangta and BoA, another longtime SM Entertainment artist, were appointed creative directors of SM Entertainment, to partake in business decisions and promote the company's identity.

JYP Entertainment has issued multiple statements stating that 2AM has not disbanded despite the members pursuing careers with different agencies.

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