End of an Era: The K-pop groups that have officially disbanded
On February 16, 2023, BRAVE Entertainment announced the disbandment of the South Korean girl group Brave Girls following the expiration of the members' contract.
"The exclusive contracts of our agency's four artists Minyoung, Yujeong, Eunji, and Yuna expire today (February 16).
"The Brave Girls members and agency decided on a beautiful farewell after an in-depth discussion over a long period of time. We will not forget the support we have for each other, and [the members] will repay the fans' love, each from their own place," the agency stated, according to a translation by Soompi.
Brave Girls, who debuted in 2011, will officially wrap up their activities through their last digital single titled "Goodbye," which will be released on Thursday.
Here are other K-pop groups that have officially disbanded.
MOMOLAND
MOMOLAND, who debuted in 2016, officially announced their disbandment on February 14, 2023. After seven years together, the South Korean girl group decided to go their separate ways and support each member's new beginning.
Brave Girls
On February 16, 2023, Brave Entertainment officially announced the disbandment of the K-pop girl group Brave Girls, following the expiration of their contracts and the release of their last digital single, "Goodbye."
CLC
The South Korean girl group CLC, formed under Cube Entertainment in March 2015, formally disbanded on May 20, 2022. Members Elkie and Sorn first left the group after their contracts were terminated in February and November 2021, respectively. In March 2022, Seungyeon and Yeeun had chosen not to renew their contract with the company.
Wonder Girls
Wonder Girls, also known as "South Korea's Retro Queens," officially disbanded in January 2017 after 10 years together. Members Yubin and Yerin have resigned from JYP Entertainment, while Yeeun and Sunmi chose to leave the company.
Sistar
Sistar was a South Korean girl group composed of Hyolyn, Bora, Soyou, and Dasom, formed by Starship Entertainment in 2010. The company announced the group's disbandment following the promotion of their last single, "Lonely," in May 2017.
GFRIEND
The K-pop girl group GFRIEND, formed under Source Music in 2015, formally disbanded on May 22, 2021, after their contracts expired. The group rose to fame with the release of their debut EP 'Season of Glass' in January 2015, which won them several female rookie awards.
IZ*ONE
IZ*ONE was a South Korean-Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet competition show 'Produce 48.' The 12-member group officially disbanded on April 29, 2021, after their contracts expired.
2NE1
South Korean girl group 2NE1 rose to fame with the release of their two eponymous EPs '2NE1' (2009, 2011), and two studio albums 'To Anyone' (2010) and 'Crush' (2014). Before their disbandment in 2016, they were considered one of the most successful and popular girl groups in South Korea.
WeGirls
WeGirls, formed under Afternoon Entertainment in 2018, disbanded in March 2022 with no official announcement from their company. Yeena only confirmed the band's disbandment via her Instagram account.
I.C.E
I.C.E officially announced their disbandment via Instagram on July 20, 2022, after they decided not to renew their contracts with HS Entertainment.
HOT ISSUE
HOT ISSUE, which was formed under S2 Entertainment in 2021, officially disbanded after a year in April 2022. The group consisted of seven members: Mayna, Nahyun, Hyeongshin, Dana, Yewon, Yebin, and Dain.
