Former IZ*ONE Kim Minju Revealed to Have Declined Signing with HYBE
Kim Minju had reportedly declined joining HYBE and their upcoming girl group.
Keep on reading to know more.
Kim Minju Rejected HYBE's Offer to Sign with Agency and Join Upcoming Girl Group
According to a report by media outlet YTN Star on October 7, former IZ*ONE member, Kim Minju, was offered to join HYBE Labels and their upcoming girl group. However, Kim Minju had declined and decided to remain with her current agency, Urban Works, to pursue a career as an actress instead.
In the past months, many have speculated that Kim Minju would be joining HYBE - home to top artists such as BTS, TXT, ENHYPEN, and more - especially as fellow former IZ*ONE members, Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chaewon have signed exclusive contracts with the agency.
The "Big Four" agency had also showed a strong will to recruit the "Fiesta" singer for their upcoming girl group, but Urban Works declined the offer in respect to Kim Minju's decision.
According to industry insiders, Kim Minju had always wanted to become an actress even before she joined and competed in Mnet's survival program, "Produce 48," which formed the girl group IZ*ONE.
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Meanwhile, Kim Minju made her debut as a lead rapper, sub-vocalist, and the visual of IZ*ONE back in October 2018. After promoting with the group for almost two years and releasing numerous hit songs, such as "La Vie en Rose," "Violeta," "Fiesta," "Panorama," and more, IZ*ONE officially disbanded earlier this year on April 29.
Kim Minju is currently an MC for MBC's music program, "Music Core," joining Stray Kids' Hyunjin and SF9's Chani.
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More About HYBE's Upcoming Girl Group
According to reports so far, HYBE is planning to launch a new girl group in the fourth quarter of this year, in collaboration with Source Music - whom they have acquired back in 2019.
Leading the girl group's launch will be HYBE's founder and chairman, Bang Si Hyuk, who will be responsible for the overall production; and Min Hee Jin, the agency's head of brand (CBO), who has helped launch popular girl groups such as f(x), Girls' Generation, and Red Velvet. She will be responsible for the group's creative direction and branding.
This will be the first girl group that HYBE will be debuting after nine years, following the debut of their now-disbanded girl group, GLAM, back in 2012.
According to an executive official of HYBE, the exact schedule of their debut, genre of music, and number of members are still confidential.
In addition, it was reported that HYBE had applied for the trademarks of "RED MARBLE" and "CHAKHO," among others, raising speculation of the upcoming group's name.
Meanwhile, it was reported that former IZ*ONE members Miyawaki Sakura and Kim Chaewon, and former "Produce 48" contestant Heo Yunjin will be part of the debut lineup.
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Written by Robyn Joan
