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| Sunny, a member of K-pop girl group Girls' Generation / Screenshot from Sunny's social media account |
By Kim Se-jeong
Sunny, a member of K-pop group Girls' Generation, announced Tuesday her departure from SM Entertainment after 16 years with the company.
"I would like to take courage and explore uncharted territory. I thank SM Entertainment for helping me debut as a member of Girls' Generation," Sunny wrote on her Instagram account. "Also, I extend my thanks to managers and many staffers with whom I went through difficult times."
SM Entertainment also issued a statement: "We were honored to spend many years together with Sunny and thank her for her hard work. We send our support for her future journey."
Since its debut in 2007, Girls' Generation rose to stardom with its songs, such as "Into the New World," "Gee," and "Genie." Last year, the group dropped its 15th anniversary album, "FOREVER 1."
A lead vocal for the group, Sunny is a niece of Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, who left the company in February following management disputes with the agency's other top officials. Many anticipated Sunny would follow suit of her uncle and when she didn't leave a message on the group's fan platform on Aug. 5 on the occasion of the group's 16th anniversary, many said her departure would be imminent.
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| Girls' Generation / Courtesy of SM Entertainment |
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