K-pop boy group SHINee’s members Taemin and Onew are set to leave their agency, SM Entertainment, when their contracts expire later this year, according to sources. Rumors surfaced after South Korean news sites SporTV News and YTN carried separate reports on Friday. While SM Entertainment did not confirm the reports, it acknowledged Taemin’s contract is up for renewal and said it is “actively considering various options.”
However, the agency did confirm that SHINee would continue as a group regardless of the status of the individual member’s contracts. The label said that it is in “positive discussions” with Minho and Key over both group and individual activities.
According to reports, Taemin is exploring the option of joining Big Planet Made, home to girl group VIVIZ and Lee Mu-jin. At present, the label has not made any definitive decisions.
Several K-pop groups have seen a shake-up in line-ups recently. In November 2023, EXO member D.O. left SM Entertainment after 11 years with the label following the expiration of his contract. Meanwhile, bandmate Baekhyun launched his own agency called INB100 and signed bandmates Chen and Xiumin in January 2024, where the trio will “start anew” and carry out their “solo activities.”
Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin had each filed to terminate their contracts with SM Entertainment in June 2023 before changing their minds
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