fromis_9 Members Face Challenges with Group Name Post-HYBE Departure, Urging to “Not Exploit Our Passion”

Trouble for fromis_9 as Members Address Name Concerns

On March 15th, through a paid fan communication platform, Baek Ji-heon opened up about a challenging morning for the group. She expressed her upset feelings while hoping their desire to maintain their group name wasn’t being exploited.“It’s such a distressing morning, but let’s try to get through it. I’m very upset, hoping that our sincere desire to keep our group name isn’t being taken advantage of, ” she shared. Baek Ji-heon admitted her struggles with sleep due to the unfairness of the situation, stating, “There are many things I want to say, but I’ll stop here. If I say more, I think fans might be shocked.”

Continuing her plea, she stated, “But don’t get me wrong. You guys just have to know that financial matters or anything like that was never even considered in our efforts to protect the group.” She emphasized the group’s desire for a standard negotiation, seeking support from their fans, saying, “Anyway, we’ll do our best to solve this, but I hope Flover (fromis_9’s fandom) will also stand by us.”

In a similar vein, fellow member Lee Chae-young also expressed her sentiments through the same platform. She reassured their fans, stating, “Flover, I will definitely be back as fromis_9. I really want to do it. I want to call you guys Flover. But even if we have to use a different name, not fromis_9, I hope you guys still love us the same. It’s not something we can decide on our own.”

Lee Chae-young conveyed her commitment alongside her fellow members, saying, “Together with the members, I’ll do my best. Please let us continue to love you guys. Please.” She further elaborated on the implications of potentially losing the group name, questioning, “But if we can’t use the group name, that means we cannot use the fandom name either, right? Do others still use their old fandom name? So, we can at least keep ‘Flover’.What a relief! Anyway, don’t worry too much and just wait a little longer. I will protect fromis_9. I promise.”

A Brief Background on fromis_9

The girl group fromis_9 was formed in September 2017 through Mnet’s survival show “Idol School” and officially debuted in November of the same year. The group transitioned to HYBE’s sub-label Pledis Entertainment in 2021 during the integration process with their former agency, Off The Record Entertainment. Notably, their exclusive contract with Pledis concluded on December 31, 2023.

Upcoming Changes for Members

As of January 2024, five members from fromis_9—Song Ha-young, Park Ji-won, Lee Na-kyung, Lee Chae-young, and Baek Ji-heon—have signed exclusive contracts with ANDN, raising new questions and excitement about the group’s future and its branding as they navigate challenges ahead.

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