With KARA‘s contract expiration date nearing with DSP Media, many netizens are suspecting that the group will not renew their contract and will instead disband.
On Pann, a netizen published on December 24th a post titled “Girl group who will disband,” naming girl group KARA and wrote, “Next year, KARA will enter their 9th year. Their contract is reaching near its end. Rumors going amongst fans is that Park Gyuri will be going to an film acting agency and Goo Hara will enter SM C&C. I don’t know about Han Seungyeon, but there is talk that none of these three will renew their contract.”
“There is also a rumor that DSP will be doing something with Youngji and Somin, who withdrew from April.”
DSP Media confirmed back in October 2015 that Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, and Goo Hara’s contract with the agency would indeed be expiring at the end of the year though a confirmation of a renewal has yet to be reported.
KARA originally debuted in 2007 as a four-member girl group (Gyuri, Seungyeon, Nicole, Sunghee) before going through their first lineup change in 2008. Member Sunghee left and the group welcomed two additional members, Hara and Jiyoung, where they found success as a group.
In 2011, the group underwent controversy when all of the members minus group leader Gyuri filed a suit against DSP Media, requesting contract termination. Goo Hara withdrew from the suit and rejoined the company, and four months later, the agency resolved their issues with the three remaining members.
In January 2014, Nicole officially withdrew from KARA after deciding not to renew her contract with Jiyoung also leaving with her own contract expiring in April 2014. A new member was recruited, Youngji, who joined on July 1st following the conclusion of the KARA Project.