Executives from DSP Media announced Monday that they are currently not seeking a new singer to replace Nicole Jung when her contract expires in early 2013.
Executives from DSP Media, the record label for five-member K-pop girl group KARA, announced Monday that they are currently not seeking a new singer to replace Nicole Jung when her contract expires in early 2013.
“Nicole has revealed that she does not intend to renew her contract with DSP, and thus her contract will expire in January as originally scheduled,” the company wrote in a statement to the South Korean publication Star News.
“However, even if a member of KARA leaves, the agency currently has no plans to add a new member as a replacement.”
Although DSP executives stopped short of declaring they would never replace Nicole in KARA, or her bandmate Kang Jiyoung, who is reportedly considering leaving the group to pursue her education, the issue will be tabled until KARA finishes their Japanese tour, which begins Tuesday in at Yokohama.
The record label execs say that any member of KARA would be difficult, if not impossible to replace.
“Given that each member has already established an image and achieved popularity, we are hesitant to recruit a new member and reorganize the team,” the DSP statement added.
“Although there are speculations of the possibly recruiting a new member, if you look only at the current situation, the possibility of that happening is considerably low.”
A press release from the record label on Friday explained that while the three other members of KARA have signed new contracts, Nicole and Jiyoung both had different expiration terms in their agreement.
“Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Hara have all renewed their contract for another two years and have decided to conduct their future activities with DSP,” read the record label statement.
“The contract for another member, Jiyoung, is different from those of the other members and will end in April. She has decided to think more about her life’s path, her singing career, and education.”
The DSP statement pledged that the group would continue even if members leave.
This is not the first time KARA’s label has dealt with the departure of band members.
In 2008, Kim Sunghee left the group due to pressure from her parents, according to Billboard.
Jiyoung, along with current band member Goo Hara were brought into KARA as a result of auditions held after Sunghee’s departure.
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