TWICE’s Jihyo leaves JYP Entertainment after 21 years, launches own agency EMITHAUS

After 21 years, Jihyo is leaving the only agency she has known since childhood, and she’s starting her own.

The TWICE leader announced on October 21 that her time with JYP Entertainment has come to an end. She has founded a new company, EMITHAUS, as the first step in her next chapter. She shared the news in a handwritten letter posted to Instagram, telling fans she was writing because she had “something I’d like to share.”

A lifetime at JYP

Jihyo first walked into JYP as a child, and she spent her teenage years and early adulthood there before debuting with TWICE. In her letter, she said summing up two decades in a few words was harder than she had imagined. She acknowledged that the years held both highs and struggles, and said every one of those moments shaped the person she is today.

She thanked the JYP staff who supported her along the way and said she would always treasure the memories they made together.

Why EMITHAUS

Jihyo framed her independence as a forward-looking choice rather than a verdict on her past. “To me, independence is not so much a conclusion about the time that has passed, but a choice about how I want to live going forward,” she wrote.

The company’s name reflects that goal. She explained that “emit” means to express or release. She hopes the agency will be a space where she can explore sides of herself she hasn’t discovered yet. She added that stepping out of familiar surroundings means she will handle every decision with extra care and responsibility.

The full statement reads:

Hello, this is Jihyo.

I’m writing today because there’s something I’d like to share with you.

After 21 years, my journey with JYP Entertainment, which began when I was just a child, has come to an end.

Trying to put 21 years into just a few words is harder than I thought it would be.
From childhood through my teenage years and into adulthood, I’ve spent most of my life at JYP.
There were good days and difficult ones, but one thing I know for certain is that every one of those moments has shaped who I am today.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at JYP who has been by my side and helped me grow over the years.
I will always cherish the time we shared and the memories we made together.

To me, independence is not so much a conclusion about the time that has passed, but a choice about how I want to live going forward.
As the first step in this new chapter, I have established my own company, EMITHAUS.
Just as “EMIT” means to “express or release,” I hope this will be a place where I can freely explore and bring to life even the possibilities within me that I have yet to discover.
As I step away from a familiar environment and begin working in new ways, I will approach every decision and every endeavor with even greater thoughtfulness and responsibility.

I also want to make it clear that this decision does not mean saying goodbye to the team I’ve been part of for so long.
TWICE is an irreplaceable part of my life.
Just as I cherish all the years we’ve shared, I look forward to all the moments still ahead of us.
I will continue to stand on stage with my members and keep building more memories together for many years to come.

Above all, I want to thank ONCE for believing in me and standing by my side for the past 11 years.
I know that watching someone grow and change through so many stages of life and continuing to support them along the way is never something to be taken for granted.
Thank you for giving me the courage to keep moving forward through your unwavering trust, love, and support.
I will continue to fill the years ahead with choices and efforts that stay true to who I am and keep growing as an artist who lives up to all the love and support you’ve given me.

Thank you.

TWICE isn’t going anywhere

Jihyo moved quickly to reassure fans about the group’s future. “TWICE is an irreplaceable part of my life,” she wrote, adding that she will keep performing alongside her members and making memories with them for years to come.

A thank-you to ONCE

She saved her warmest words for the fandom that has followed her for 11 years. She said she knows that supporting someone through so many stages of growth and change should never be taken for granted. She also credited ONCE’s trust and love for giving her the courage to keep moving forward. She promised to keep making choices true to herself and to grow into an artist worthy of their support.

Third member to leave JYP

With the announcement, Jihyo becomes the third TWICE member to formally part ways with JYP Entertainment. Jeongyeon left first and signed with VARO Entertainment, and Chaeyoung announced her own departure soon after.