As fans are reeling from the news that K-pop group GFRIEND will be leaving their agency, there was a telltale sign as early as March to indicate something unusual.

On May 18, Source Music, GFRIEND’s agency, announced that its exclusive contract with the K-pop group will end on May 22.

Korean media reported that with the non-renewal of GFRIEND’s contracts, they are considered disbanded.

“After careful consideration and extensive discussion, GFRIEND and Source Music have come to an agreement to follow separate paths to continued growth,” said Source Music in its statement.

Fans are angry that the announcement of GFRIEND leaving the agency was made just four days before the date of the expiration of the contracts. They thought that since GFRIEND debuted in January 2015, the renewal of the contract would be in January next year, based on the standard seven-year contracts for K-pop idols.

But as early as March, there was already an indication that something was going on with GFRIEND.

On the GFRIEND Official Japan Site, a notice was posted on March 22 that the Japan Official Mobile Fanclub “Buddy JPN Mobile” will be closed on May 31 “due to various reasons.”

"You will no longer be able to view the contents of the Mobile FANCLUB site after May 22,” the notice read, which refers to the date of the last day of GFRIEND’s contract as announced by Source Music on May 18.

“In line with this, we will close the application for new membership on March 31,” the notice added.

.A corporate document filed on May 14 by HYBE Co., which acquired Source Music in July 2019, indicated that the contracts of GFRIEND members will expire this year, the earliest among artists under the company.

In a section in the document on the “risk of failure to renew contracts with key artists, HYBE said it has contracts with 191 artists and trainees and “GFRIEND, a girl group from Source Music, exists as an artist whose contract is scheduled to expire within a year of the filing date.”

The document stated that due to the nature of the business, it cannot completely rule out the possibility that its affiliated artists may transfer to a competitor or a contract dispute may arise during the contract period due to a failure to renew the contract in the future. Failure to renew a contract or a dispute related to a contract may negatively affect the company's financial situation and business performance in the future, it added.

In its announcement, Source Music said, “We would like to deeply thank all BUDDY and fans who have shown your love for GFRIEND, and we ask that you give your unchanging love and support to the members who will begin their adventures in new and diverse areas. Source Music will always continue to cheer for the members as they take the first step towards new beginnings.”