TWICE leader Jihyo has closed a 21-year chapter at JYP Entertainment and opened a new one with her own agency, EMITHAUS.
The 29-year-old singer announced the move on Instagram on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, framing it as a step toward independent work rather than a farewell to her group.
Reports from CNA Lifestyle, Dispatch, and Soompi state that EMITHAUS will start by handling her solo activities.
The company also intends to move into wider content production and bring other artists on board later, according to Dispatch.
A Choice About the Years Ahead
In a handwritten statement, Jihyo said her decision was about the future rather than a rejection of her past.
She looked back on the experiences that shaped her as an artist and thanked those who supported her growth at JYP Entertainment.
"To me, becoming independent is less about drawing a conclusion to the time that has passed and more about making a choice about how I want to live the years ahead," she wrote.
She also acknowledged the weight of managing her career outside the company where she spent most of her life.
Jihyo said she plans to approach future decisions and professional activities with greater care as she explores new ways of working.
The name EMITHAUS comes from the English word "EMIT," meaning to release or radiate.
According to Dispatch, she envisions the company as a space to explore creative possibilities she has not yet pursued.
Leaving JYP does not mean stepping away from TWICE, she stressed, describing the group as an important part of her life.
"TWICE is an irreplaceable and precious part of my life.
Just as I look back fondly on the time we have spent together, I am looking forward to the time we will share in the future," she said.
She expressed her intention to keep sharing the stage with the members and creating memories together.
Her announcement separates her individual management from her commitment to the group's ongoing activities.
Jihyo joined JYP Entertainment at age eight and trained for roughly a decade before debuting with TWICE in 2015.
She thanked the group's fandom, ONCE, for supporting her across TWICE's 11-year career.
Jihyo credited fans with helping her move forward, noting they had watched her grow through different stages of life.
She is the latest TWICE member to leave JYP Entertainment, following Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, according to the reports.
Jeongyeon has joined Varo Entertainment to pursue acting, while Chaeyoung has also announced her departure from JYP.
The solo contract status of the six remaining members, Nayeon, Momo, Sana, Mina, Dahyun, and Tzuyu, had not yet been announced in reports published on October 21, 2026.
