ALLDAY PROJECT member Annie will temporarily step away from group activities to return to Columbia University in New York for the spring semester starting this month.
Her agency, THEBLACKLABEL, confirmed on Jan. 14 that Annie will resume her studies and stay in New York through May to focus on completing her degree. The idol is majoring in Art History and Visual Arts at the Ivy League institution and needs only one more semester to graduate.
Annie addressed fans directly through the group's fan communication platform on Jan. 14, explaining that she learned early last year that she could no longer extend her leave of absence from the university. She discussed the decision in advance with her fellow members and the agency before making it official, according to Koreaboo.
The hiatus will last approximately three and a half months, ending in early May when the semester concludes. Despite her focus on academics, Annie revealed that she will need to return to Korea once or twice a month for scheduled activities. She also plans to continue working on music while in the United States and may participate in select overseas schedules, including fan signing events.
Annie took a leave of absence from Columbia to debut with ALLDAY PROJECT in June 2025. The group quickly found success with back-to-back hits "One More Time" in November 2025 and "Look At Me" in December, earning multiple awards within six months of their debut, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. They were also nominated for the iHeartRadio Music Awards scheduled for Mar. 26 in Los Angeles.
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During Annie's academic period, the remaining ALLDAY PROJECT members—Tarzzan, Bailey, Woochan, and Youngseo—will continue group music production and pursue individual activities. Member Tarzzan recently released his solo song "MEDUSA."
Annie is the granddaughter of Shinsegae Group chairwoman Lee Myung-hee and the eldest daughter of Shinsegae Co. chair Chung Yoo-kyung. She previously revealed that her parents made attending an Ivy League school a condition for pursuing her music career, and she scored 1,530 out of 1,600 on the SAT.
In messages to fans, Annie apologized for not informing them before news reports broke and asked for their support during this period, as per allkpop.
