| L says he has decided to tackle a new challenge. Courtesy of Woollim Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
L of K-pop boy band INFINITE has left managing company Woollim Entertainment, but the group will not disband, the company said Monday.
"The nine-year contract involving L and Woollim has been terminated as of Aug 18," the company said in a press release. "L decided not to re-sign the contract, following a long and in-depth discussion."
It added: "Since INFINITE's debut in 2010, L has been striving to do his best in every field. We sincerely appreciate him and will support him in the future."
But the agency said the group would not disband.
"The members do not consider disbanding," the agency said. "We will discuss group activity later on, because some members have been serving their mandatory military service."
INFINITE, best known for its big hit "Be Mine" (2011), initially had seven members but Hoya left in 2017. Leader Sungkyu joined the army in May 2018, with Sungyeol and Dongwoo following in March and April 2019, respectively. Sungjong began his "social service" duty, an alternative to obligatory active military service, in August.
| L posted a handwritten statement on his Instagram, Monday, but it has ignited controversy over alleged plagiarism. Capture from L's Instagram |
L also posted a handwritten statement on his Instagram, Monday, to deliver the news. He said he decided to tackle a new challenge, but would still join forces with other members whenever they need him.
But his statement stirred a debate over alleged plagiarism.
Some online users pointed out its similarities with that of other K-pop stars including Seohyun from Girls' Generation. Seohyun also talked about a fresh challenge and revealed her willingness for group activity in her statement in 2017, after she decided to leave SM Entertainment.
L has not responded to the fuss.
L, whose real name is Kim Myung-soo, debuted as an INFINITE member in 2010 with the album "First Invasion." L also has been forging an acting career and appeared in several works including the JTBC TV series "Ms. Hammurabi" (2018) and KBS2's "Angel's Last Mission: Love" (2019).