Sohee no longer a Wonder Girl

The popular K-pop starlet Sohee of Wonder Girls has decided not to renew her contract with the group in order to focus on her acting career, according to a press release issued Wednesday by her agency JYP Entertainment.

“The contract with Sohee ends on Dec. 21 and we have decided to respect her decision to focus on her acting career after much discussion,” the statement said.

Although Sohee has opted to discontinue her activities as part of Wonder Girls, members Yeeun, Yubin and Sunye ― whose contracts are also set to expire ― have agreed to renew their agreements and continue on as members of the K-pop group, while Hyerim, the last to join the group, remains under contract.

As for the future of the once-popular K-pop girl group, no specifics have been decided in terms of the group’s pending activities. Many of the members had said late last year that they wanted to focus on individual projects, and the group leader Sunye halted her activities temporarily after getting married in January.

Wonder Girls, who debuted in 2007, made a number of attempts to break into the American music market, with the girls releasing several English singles including the track “Like Money,” which featured American hip-hop star Akon, as well as joining the North American leg of the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009. However, after failing to make any significant impact in the States, the girls returned home in 2011 and in late November of last year announced that the members were temporarily suspending their activities.

It was reported earlier in the year that Sohee had been shopping around for acting agencies, which is when the rumors about her possible departure from JYP Entertainment began to spread. However, officials from JYP have stated that although she has decided not to continue on as a member of Wonder Girls, it is still possible that she may remain under JYP signed on as an actress.

“The contract renewal negotiations have not yet been completed,” stated the official.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)