YG Entertainment, Bobby’s management, dismissed numerous allegations about the idol’s departure from the firm and the band. Without going into too much detail, the agency informed Joy News24 that the claims were incorrect. They stated:
“The stories about Bobby’s contract expiry are incorrect.”
This follows the exclusive news by KpopHerald on November 15 that Bobby would not extend his contract with YG Entertainment. The information in the report came from an unidentified YG official.
[Exclusive] An industry insider told K-pop Herald that @YG_iKONIC‘s Bobby has not decided to renew his exclusive contract with @ygent_official. The insider added that many are keeping an eye on which company will be housing the rapper. #BOBBY #iKON pic.twitter.com/ezt6M1cyTY
— KpopHerald (@Kpop_Herald) November 15, 2022
‘Rumor is baseless,’ says YG official on Bobby’s contract expiry.
A YG spokesperson informed Newsen that the allegations about the rapper’s departure from the agency and iKON were false, despite significant discussion in the internet community. According to the official:
“The rumor is false.” His contract has some time remaining on it.”
However, the YG official did not say when Bobby’s or the rest of the iKON members’ exclusive contracts would expire or whether they planned to extend them. Meanwhile, neither Bobby nor the members of the group have commented on the event; nevertheless, during a press conference for their fourth mini-album Flashback in May, they said that they had yet to negotiate their contracts with the agency.
“We haven’t discussed it with the corporation yet. We will work hard for our record and iKON, despite the fact that nothing has been formally determined.”
According to Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) laws, artists may be legally tied to their firms for a maximum of seven years before having to renew their contracts; Bobby debuted as a member of iKON in 2015, and his contract with the agency is slated to end in the coming months.
Bobby, the ‘genius’ of iKON
Kim Ji-won aka Bobby made his iKON debut as a rapper in 2015 alongside members Jay, Song, DK, Ju-ne, Chan, and former member B.I. Since then, the idol has been best known for winning Mnet’s survival show Show Me The Money 3 and producing some of the group’s songs as well as delivering impactful performances. Bobby co-wrote the lyrics for all six tracks on the group’s fourth mini-album Flashback and even assisted other members in composing the tracks. iKonics praised the singer’s contribution to the album and called him a “genius,” noting:
“Daamn Bobby contributed to the creation of all the songs, composing one entirely by himself (dragon) and another with Donghyuk. “This guy is a writer’s brilliance.”
In the midst of the speculation, iKONICS tweeted, “In Bobby we trust.”
The slogan ‘In Bobby, we trust’ began trending again amid speculations of his departure from the band. Some admirers expressed their support for the musician and expressed optimism that he would continue on his own, while others stated they would wait for formal confirmation of the news. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old recently erased all of his posts save one, unfollowed all iKON members, and made his Instagram account private, fueling additional conjecture.
