Former IZ*ONE singer Miyawaki Sakura has reportedly signed a new contract with BTS‘ agency HYBE Labels.
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According to a report by Star News on September 23, Sakura has reportedly signed an exclusive contract with the music label and is set to join an upcoming girl group managed by HYBE’s subsidiary Source Music.
The report added that Sakura’s move to HYBE had been delayed due to “differences between HYBE and Sakura’s Japanese agency”, which included the issue of “Sakura’s portrait and trademark rights in Japan”, as translated by Koreaboo.
HYBE later responded to the reports via Mydaily, stating that they are unable to verify these claims. “We cannot confirm the details of an artist’s contract. We ask for your understanding,” wrote a representative of the agency, per Koreaboo.
Source Music’s upcoming girl group will also allegedly include Produce 48 contestant and Pledis Entertainment trainee Heo Yun-jin as well as ex-IZ*ONE members Kim Chae-won and Kim Min-ju.
Similar reports surrounding the supposed line-up of Source Music’s upcoming girl group had first surfaced last month, to which both HYBE and Kim Chae-won’s agency have since responded to, noting that they are unable to “verify” the claims.
Ex-IZ*ONE member, Choi Ye-na, is also slated to make her solo debut sometime this year. However, a spokesperson from her agency has since told TopStarNews that “nothing is confirmed yet” and that “discussions are currently ongoing”.