As the typical seven-year exclusive contract period for idol groups comes to an end, members often face a crossroads of renewal or departure. From the 3rd generation of idols, the strategy of working "separately yet together" has become more common. Many idols are now leaving their original companies to find new ones that support their individual activities. Recently, there's been an increase in idols setting up their own agencies with clear objectives.
A prime example is the top girl group BLACKPINK. Last year, after their contracts with YG Entertainment expired, all four members signed a limited re-contract for group activities only. Subsequently, Jennie announced the establishment of her personal agency with her mother, and Jisoo is also anticipated to continue her individual activities, in partnership with her older brother.
Jennie established ODD ATELIER (OA) in November last year and announced this on social media in December. She explained her decision to set up her own agency during her guest appearance on KBS 2TV's music program 'The Seasons - Lee Hyori's Red Carpet' on the 2nd. She expressed a desire to undertake individual activities more freely.
Similarly, BLACKPINK's Jisoo is expected to start entertainment business activities with a company led by her older brother. Last month, a job recruitment platform posted a hiring announcement featuring Jisoo's photo, indicating an expansion into the entertainment business. The announcement, presumed to be for a company called Blissoo, described it as a startup set to grow rapidly and globally in the K-pop industry, aiming to garner more love from K-pop fans alongside the artist's growth.
Before BLACKPINK, other idols also left their original agencies to set up their own. Pentagon member Kino left Cube Entertainment to establish his personal agency, NAKED, last month. Similarly, former Astro member Rocky established One Fine Day Entertainment last August and began his solo journey. He expressed his future plans to recruit other artists and form teams, aiming to create an agency that can handle everything under One Fine Day Entertainment.
The industry views the trend of idols setting up their own agencies as a move to showcase their unique musical style and undertake more liberated activities. One entertainment insider mentioned, "The biggest advantage of a personal agency is high autonomy. While large agencies control various aspects, including personal life, personal agencies allow idols to prioritize what they want, which is particularly appealing to those who debuted at a young age and long for freedom." They also added that personal agencies have more favorable aspects in terms of profit distribution.
However, personal agencies are not without challenges. Compared to large agencies, they often lack scale and manpower, leading to potential operational immaturity. Additionally, as the artist leads the company, fans may feel hesitant to voice their dissatisfaction, fearing it reflects poorly on the artist.
An industry insider explained, "Personal agencies inherently differ from large, staffed agencies in operational capability and are particularly weak in risk management. However, fans often see criticizing the company as insulting the artist, leading to silent fandom departures if grievances accumulate."
