YG Entertainment responds to rumours of Blackpink's Lisa leaving the agency

Will Blackpink survive the seven-year curse? That's the question in many K-pop fans' heads as August approaches – which is reportedly when the exclusive contracts of Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa with YG Entertainment expire.

Most K-pop idol groups usually sign contracts with their respective agencies that last for seven years. As such, the seven-year curse refers to a phenomenon that sees groups disbanding after seven years as members opt to not renew their contracts.

On Jul 12, rumours of Blackpink being the next group to suffer the seven-year curse reached an all-time high after South Korean publication Munhwa Ilbo reported that there was a "high chance" of Lisa leaving YG Entertainment once her contract expires.

Munhwa Ilbo explained that the two parties "have not reached an agreement", adding that the contract renewal discussions for Jisoo, Jennie and Rose have "gone smoothly in comparison".

Munhwa Ilbo also cited an anonymous Chinese agency that reportedly told the publication they wanted Lisa to appear on a Chinese show. However, this agency was then told that it "was difficult to schedule" activities after August, given the "uncertainty of Lisa's contract renewal with YG Entertainment".

In response to these reports, YG Entertainment released a statement saying "The uncertainty) is due to (Blackpink's ongoing) world tour as well as Lisa's individual activities. It has nothing to do with contract renewals which are currently under discussion.”

Following Munhwa Ilbo's report, YG Entertainment shares dropped by almost 7 per cent.

It's worth noting that, though rare, it is possible for individual members of a K-pop group to not re-sign with their original agency but still remain in the group. Recent examples include Mamamoo's Wheein and Hwasa who joined The L1ve and P Nation respectively and YG's own BigBang with Daesung joining R&D Company and Taeyang joining The Black Label.