While we’re still recovering from news of their disbandment, K-pop group GFRIEND has released personal letters saying goodbye to fans.
K-pop fans were shocked earlier this week when beloved girl-group GFRIEND abruptly announced that they were leaving their agency and disbanding. Now, the group’s members have released handwritten letters addressed to their fans, saying goodbye and thanking them for their support.
Member Sowon apologized for the abrupt announcement, promising to make it up with “good things.”
“Debuting in January 2015 felt like a dream, and meeting BUDDY (GFRIEND’s fans) was such a great blessing in my life,” she said. “I think I received more love than I deserved, to the point where I wondered whether it was all right for me to receive this much love.”
“To be honest, I’m not someone with high self-esteem, so there were definitely some difficult moments. However, I think that even those moments, on top of everything else, became opportunities for me to grow, thanks to you all.” she said, also adding that ‘although GFRIEND has officially ended, this is not the end for us.’
Eunha echoed Sowon’s sentiment in her letter, apologizing for the ‘sadness’ when fans were ‘likely looking forward to us more than ever.’ Thanking her members and fans, she said: “Although I was lacking, you gave me so much undeserved love, and because you always believed in me, I wanted to become a better person… To me, this was the happiest and most beautiful six years. That truth will never change.”
“I started out in quite a lacking and unknowing state, but the time up until now has been a precious learning experience that made me realize so much,” added Umji in her letter. “I want to sincerely thank you for applauding and being happy for me during the growth process of my lacking self. When we first debuted, there were times when I felt like I was running in circles with no direction or purpose.”
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But looking back, I was able to feel just how impressive and meaningful of a path I had been walking. This helped me better appreciate and enjoy all the situations I experienced while working,” she continued.
Members Yuju, SinB, and Yerin also thanked their fans and the other members in their letters with promises of a better future.
GFRIEND’s disbandment came as a shock to the K-pop world earlier this week. On May 18th, their agency Source Music announced that contract renegotiations with the six members had fallen through, meaning the group would disband and go their separate ways.
The news comes on the heels of one of the biggest years of GFRIEND’s musical careers. Their third studio album, 回:Walpurgis Night, released in October 2020, became one of their most successful releases to date, with the title track ‘Mago’ making its way to numerous year-end lists.
You can read more about this topic over at the Asia Pop Observer.
Check out ‘MAGO’ by GFRIEND:
