On the May 24 episode of JTBC’s variety show Knowing Bros, (G)I-DLE appeared as guests, returning after a year with their new song “Good Thing“.
During the show, the members discussed their recent news of all renewing their contracts.
Senior idol Kim Heechul commented that from watching I-DLE’s performances and social media posts, he thought they were “ready to leave the company“. In particular, Soyeon drew attention for her self-written rap during a concert where she said, “November contract end, who can stop me?“
Soyeon explained that because she debuted earlier, her contract period was different from the other members. The other members adjusted their contract expiration dates to match Soyeon’s. Miyeon shared “At the time, I distanced myself from the company“, drawing attention.
Miyeon elaborated “I was afraid someone might ask me something if I went to the company alone. I didn’t want to say anything wrong. So I tried not to go to the company at all“, emphasizing how cautious she was to represent the members’ shared intentions.
When asked about offers from other companies, Yuqi admitted “While confusing articles were circulating, I received a lot of offers from various places. I wasn’t swayed at first, but hearing so many things eventually made me waver a little“, adding candidly, “Honestly, I did waver.“
She revealed the reason for her hesitation was the large sums being offered. Soyeon then added, “Yuqi was actually the one who said most often that all five of us should stay together.” Yuqi responded, “The process took longer than expected, and I started thinking, ‘Maybe it won’t work out.’ I really had a lot of those thoughts.“
Minnie, feeling uneasy, even sought advice from a fortune teller she had been seeing for a long time. “*The fortune teller told me not to worry, that we would stay together,*” Minnie said, explaining how she was reassured.
Kim Heechul then mentioned “Shuhua even hired a lawyer”, to which Lee Soo Geun added, “She must’ve been preparing to leave.“
Shuhua immediately admitted “Yes, really” and continued, “I visited the company a lot. But in the end, I thought it would be better to stay with the team, thinking of the members.” She also revealed that she had one-on-one meetings with every member before deciding to re-sign.
This rare insight into I-DLE’s behind-the-scenes journey highlights the emotional and strategic complexity behind contract renewals in K-pop, and the tight bond that helped keep the beloved group together.