TWICE's Jihyo leaves JYP Entertainment after 21 years and launches EMITHAUS

Jihyo confirms a new chapter after 21 years at JYP

Jihyo has confirmed that her 21-year association with JYP Entertainment has come to an end, and that she has founded her own company, EMITHAUS. The TWICE member announced the move in a handwritten letter posted to Instagram on 21 October, as reported by Soompi. The statement pairs a clear break in her professional set-up with an equally clear message about her group: she says she is not saying goodbye to TWICE and intends to keep performing with its members.

The news matters beyond a single agency change. Jihyo's run at JYP began when she was a child, and the letter frames the decision as the start of a new chapter rather than a retirement from the work she has built. According to Soompi, she is the third TWICE member to officially leave JYP Entertainment, following Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung. That detail gives the announcement a wider context inside one of K-pop's best-known groups, while the letter itself keeps the focus on Jihyo's own next step.

For readers, the immediate practical point is that two things are being presented at once: a new independent company and a continuing group career. The letter is a statement of intent rather than a detailed operational plan, so the specifics of how her solo work will be managed are not yet set out.

What the name EMITHAUS signals

Jihyo explains the company name by connecting EMIT to the idea of expressing or releasing something. In her framing, EMITHAUS is intended as a place where she can explore and bring to life possibilities in herself that she has not yet discovered. That is a statement of creative intent rather than a business plan, but it helps explain why she has chosen independence at this point.

The wording is notable for how it ties a new company to artistic exploration. Rather than presenting the move as a rejection of her past, she describes independence as a choice about how she wants to live going forward. She also says she will approach decisions and projects with greater thoughtfulness and responsibility. Those are broad commitments, not confirmed projects, but they set the tone for how she wants the next phase to be understood.

For fans, the name is likely to become a shorthand for Jihyo's solo identity as much as for the company itself. The letter does not describe a roster of artists or a release schedule, so EMITHAUS currently exists in public terms as Jihyo's own vehicle for the work ahead. That alone is a meaningful change in how her career will be presented.

Why the TWICE reassurance is central

The most consequential line for group fans is Jihyo's insistence that this is not a farewell to TWICE. She calls TWICE an irreplaceable part of her life, says she cherishes the years they have shared, and looks forward to the moments still ahead. She also states that she will continue to stand on stage with her members and build more memories together.

That reassurance matters because agency news can easily be read as a signal about a group's future. Here, the letter draws a distinction between her company and her group. It presents EMITHAUS as a new working environment for Jihyo as an individual, not as a replacement for TWICE. What the letter offers is a clear intention rather than a timetable or a breakdown of schedules.

Still, the distinction is practical. A member can have a separate company while remaining part of a group, but the arrangement depends on agreements and logistics that are not outlined in the letter. The source-supported takeaway is simpler: Jihyo says she remains committed to TWICE, and that commitment is the central message of the announcement.

A 21-year run that shaped the announcement

Jihyo's letter gives the length of her JYP association a central place. She describes spending most of her life at the company, from childhood through her teenage years and into adulthood. She acknowledges both good days and difficult ones, and says every moment shaped who she is today. She also thanks the people at JYP who supported her and helped her grow.

That framing makes the announcement feel different from a routine contract story. The number 21 is not just a statistic here; it is the backdrop against which she explains her decision. The letter does not dwell on specific milestones or turn the departure into a reckoning. Instead, it balances gratitude with a forward-looking choice.

That tone is likely to matter to fans who have followed her for years, because it acknowledges the length of the relationship without asking them to choose between her past and her future.

The letter does not list the projects or moments Jihyo associates with those years, so this account cannot fill in a timeline. What is clear is that she presents the move as a considered transition, not an abrupt break. The emphasis falls on what the years built in her, rather than on a dramatic exit.

The third departure inside TWICE

Soompi notes that Jihyo is the third TWICE member to officially leave JYP Entertainment, after Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung. That places the announcement in a sequence that fans will recognise. It also raises a fair question about how the group's professional structure is evolving: if several members have separate arrangements, how does TWICE operate as a group?

The letter does not answer that question in detail. It does, however, show Jihyo choosing to address the group question directly rather than leaving it to interpretation. She does not present her departure as a split from the members. Instead, she separates the company from the team.

This is where the story becomes more than a single career move. TWICE's identity has never depended on one agency alone, but agency structures shape how releases, schedules and promotions come together. The letter does not describe those structures, so readers can note the pattern without assuming a fixed model for how every member's solo work will run.

What fans can reasonably watch for

With EMITHAUS newly announced, the natural next questions are about what the company will do and how Jihyo will use it. The letter describes a place for exploration and expression, but it does not announce a release, a roster or a timeline. Those details have not been announced; the absence of an announcement is not evidence that nothing is planned.

For now, the confirmed points are the end of her JYP journey, the creation of EMITHAUS, and her stated intention to continue with TWICE. Fans can follow those facts without filling the gaps with guesswork. The more useful question is how an independent company changes the kind of work Jihyo can pursue as a solo artist, and how that work will sit alongside TWICE's group activity.

The announcement also gives ONCE a clear message to respond to. Jihyo thanks the fandom for 11 years of belief and support, and says she wants to keep growing as an artist who lives up to that support. That is a direct address to the people who have followed her, and it sets the emotional terms of the next chapter.

The takeaway

Jihyo's departure from JYP Entertainment is a significant agency story, but the letter is carefully built to prevent it from becoming a group-ending story. She is leaving a company she joined as a child, starting EMITHAUS, and saying she will remain on stage with TWICE. The verified facts are clear; the fine print of how her solo and group work will be organised is not yet public.

For listeners, the story is worth following because it shows how established K-pop artists can reshape their careers while staying connected to their groups. The next meaningful update will be any confirmed activity from EMITHAUS or TWICE. Until then, the letter itself is the clearest statement of intent.