Kep1er fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the word on the street is that the group is longer heading toward disbandment.
As reported by Star News on May 16, the agencies of the members and WakeOne Entertainment have reached an agreement. 7 members will be signing contract extensions and Kep1er will continue as a 7-member lineup.
Kep1er members Kang Yeseo and Mashiro will no longer be part of the group and join the entertainment agency, LIMELIGHT, which is also managed by 143 Entertainment, the same agency behind boy group iKON.
This move marks a new chapter for the two idols, who will now be part of a different group under the same umbrella as iKON.
Kep1er, a multinational 9-member project girl group formed through Mnet’s reality show ‘Girls Planet 999: Girls’ Battle’ in 2021, was initially set to disband in July 2024 after a 2-year and 6-month activity period.
However, in a historic move, key executives from each member’s agency have agreed to extend the project, with 7 members renewing their contracts. This marks the first-ever contract extension for an idol group formed through an audition program.
On another note, Kep1er is gearing up to release their debut full-length album, Kep1going On, on June 3.