Jeongyeon, a member of the K-pop group TWICE, announced on August 10, 2026, that she was leaving JYP Entertainment after 11 years with the agency since debuting through JYP's survival program Sixteen in 2015. She confirmed the news through a handwritten letter shared on social media [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Despite her departure, Jeongyeon will continue to participate in TWICE group activities. She emphasized that TWICE will remain the most important part of her life and career. "Although I am beginning a new chapter at a new agency, TWICE will remain at the heart of who I am. Being there for ONCE as a member of TWICE will always come first," she said [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]. In her statement, she also expressed gratitude to JYP Entertainment, her fellow members, and fans known as ONCE [1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 6].

Jeongyeon, now 29 years old, is the first member of the nine-member TWICE group to leave JYP Entertainment since the group's 2015 debut, ending a long-standing intact lineup under the agency [3, 8].

She signed an exclusive contract with Varo Entertainment, which also manages her older sister Gong Seung-yeon and actor Byun Woo-seok. Varo Entertainment publicly welcomed Jeongyeon and pledged support for both her acting ambitions and her ongoing activities with TWICE. A spokesperson said, "We are sincerely happy to create a valuable connection with Yu Jeongyeon, who has diverse charms and limitless potential. We will provide full support to ensure her smooth continuation of both acting and group activities" [2, 4, 5, 6].

Jeongyeon plans to expand her career into acting alongside her work as a TWICE member [2, 4, 5, 6]. She stated in her letter in Mandarin, "Although I am moving to a new place and starting new challenges, TWICE remains the most important core in my heart. I will always protect TWICE as I do now, and standing in front of ONCE as a TWICE member will always be my top priority" [4].

Her announcement on August 10 marks a significant shift in TWICE's agency representation as she embarks on new professional endeavors while maintaining her ties to the group.