Apink Member Son Naeun Leaves Girl Group; Announces Departure Through Handwritten Letter

By Ilin Mathew
April 8, 2022 20:56 +08

TOP 10 K-POP BANDS

Apink Member Son Naeun has officially left the girl group ahead of the K-pop band's 11th debut anniversary. She announced her departure to the fans through a handwritten letter. It was uploaded on Instagram. In the letter, she expressed her gratitude to everybody, including her teammates, fans, and the agency, IST Entertainment.

The singer said it was not an easy decision to make because the girl group is like a family to her. She was with the band for a long time. She made this difficult decision after much deliberation. Naeun also said she will become a panda to support the girl group members -- Chorong, Bomi, Eunji, and Namjoo.

The K-pop idol thanked all the people who worked hard for Apink from the beginning, including the IST officials and the fans. The singer said the time and memories with the fans are precious.

Here is the Handwritten Letter by Son Naeun:

Hello.

This is Naeun Son.

I've been thinking a lot about how to tell this story in words, and even as I write this now, I'm very nervous. I have to leave Apink, which I have been with for the past 11 years. Since Apink is like a family where we have been together for a long time, it was a difficult decision after much deliberation, and it was not an easy decision, but now I am also becoming another panda to support Apink. Members Chorong unnie, Bomi unnie, Eunji unnie, Namjoo Hayoung. With the many people who worked hard from the beginning of Apink to now, including IST officials, and the time and memories I had with the most precious fans, I feel the present I am. I can't describe my feelings in words, but I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who gave me the happiest time that made my teens and 20s the most dazzling. I think the way I can repay you is to keep the name of Apink Son Na-Eun in my heart and show me a better side so that I am not ashamed of that name. Love Apink a lot and I will sincerely support you.

So far, it's been Apink's Naeun Son!

Reasons for Son Naeun's Departure from Apink

The news about Naeun's decision to part ways with Apink first came through an exclusive report by The Fact. According to the report, the singer decided to officially leave the girl group because of her difficulty in balancing her idol life and acting career. The report further stated that she would wrap up all her promotional activities with the girl group after discussions with the team members and the agencies.

"Na-Eun decided she could no longer participate in A Pink's activities due to other schedules at the same time. After a discussion with the two companies and A Pink members, Na-Eun has decided to conclude her group activities", the industry insider said.

IST Entertainment Responds

Following the report, IST Entertainment released an official statement about Naeun leaving Apink. In the statement, the agency said the girl group will continue as a five-member group ahead of the 11th debut anniversary. It further said Naeun will conclude all her activities with the group and the two parties will cheer for each other in the future.

The entertainment agency then said IST Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and all the six members have been involved in deep discussions about the group's activities since February. After the release of Apink's special album, the agency met the staff and group members in-person to share their opinions. The decision to withdraw Naeun from Apink was made after careful consideration.

The Official Statement

Hello, this is IST Entertainment.

Apink will continue their activities as five members ahead of the release of their 11th-anniversary song. Son Naeun will conclude her group activities and the two parties will cheer for each other as they go on their separate paths.

Since Apink's activities in February for their special album, we have held in-depth discussions about the future direction of group activities with the members.

All six members and staff from both IST and YG met in person to share their opinions on the group activities. After careful consideration, this decision was recently made. Since this decision was not made lightly, we would like to support all future activities by respecting the opinions of the members who chose to be considerate of each others' wishes.

We would like to express our apologies to PANDA, who has always been with Apink and we ask for your understanding.

We will continue to provide our full support for Apink's group activities and the individual growth of the five members. Also, we will do our best for the fans who continue to love and support Apink.

Just like the past 10 years, we ask for your support and love for the Apink members, who continue to promote in various industry fields.

Thank you.