Girls Generations' Sunny Exits SM Entertainment After 16 Years: 'Every Single Day, I Was Happy'

Sunny, one of the most popular members of the South Korean girl group Girls’ Generation, has decided to cut ties with SM Entertainment, the agency she was associated with for 16 years. She formed a major part of the K-pop band since her debut in 2007. Today, on August 8, SM Entertainment released a statement where they mentioned that their contract with Sunny has come to an end. Sunny too penned a long Instagram note, bidding goodbye to Girls’ Generation forever.

SM Entertainment in their statement broke the news of Sunny’s separation from the agency. They also thanked Sunny for showcasing her “amazing activities” while being associated with the agency, reported Soompi, an English-language website, covering news pertaining to Korean pop culture. “Our exclusive contract with Sunny has come to an end. We express our gratitude to Sunny who showcased amazing activities while together with us for a long time, and we ask for lots of support for the new path that Sunny will walk,” the statement read.

Later on, Sunny also took to Instagram and shared the news of her departure from Girls’ Generation and SM Entertainment. In the English translation of her Korean write-up, Sunny expressed her gratitude to be a part of the Girls’ Generation for 16 years years. The Korean girl group celebrated their 16th anniversary on August 5 this year. Sunny in her caption thanked her near and dear ones, family members, managers, and fans for supporting and showering her with an abundance of love.

A post shared by 써니 (Sunny) (@515sunnyday)

“Today especially I want to express my gratitude to SM Entertainment who gave great help so that 19-year-old Lee Soon Kyu (Sunny’s real name) could debut as Girls’ Generation’s Sunny. I want to express my gratitude to… all the employees who helped us to be able to spread positive energy through good music and good sides of us as well as various performances and content. Every single day, I was as happy as I could be to be able to debut as Girls’ Generation with the members…” she wrote.

In her post, Sunny added that she was ready to muster up her courage and put herself in a “new environment” and perceive herself differently than what she is known for. “No matter what kind of day comes in the future, I will continue to move forward as the revitalizing Sunny. I will continue to be Sunny who shares good news going forward. Thank you,” she concluded.

Girls’ Generation primarily comprised nine members, namely Sunny, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, Seohyun, and Jessica Jung. Jessica left the group in 2014. The musical group has recorded a number of popular songs since 2007, including Gee, The Boys, Lion Heart, and Genie.