While the members of Kep1er have announced that they are delaying disbanding, its members are still in the midst of contract negotiations with their label, WakeOne, after their contracts expired in July last year.
Member Xiaoting is reportedly exploring her options after her contract with Chinese agency TOPCLASS expires.
The idol has reportedly returned to South Korea and is in the midst of negotiations with WakeOne and KLAP Entertainment, the management agency behind the group, according to a report from the Korean outlet OSEN on January 7.
Should the idol choose to continue activities with the agency, Xiaoting will sign for all individual programs with the agency, outside of Kep1er.
Xiaoting claimed to be famous through the survival show Mnet Girls Planet 999making her debut in the seven-member girl group Kep1er, a temporary project group formed with a planned 2.5-year contract.
The group, however, excluding members Kang Ye Seo and Mashiro, renewed their contracts, in November 2024, becoming the first project group in history to do so.
In recent times, Xiaoting, the only Chinese member of the group, had taken a step back from the group’s schedule by prioritizing his solo activities in China. Fans noticed the member’s absence from fan sign events in December, sparking statements released by his Chinese and Korean agencies.
Xiaoting’s contract with TOPCLASS officially ended on January 1, leaving the idol room to make decisions on the next step for her career.
“Now my partnership with TOPCLASS Entertainment has expired. Thank you TOPCLASS Entertainment, thank you to everyone who supported and helped me along the way, and thank you for not giving up [on me]. Above all, thank you to my fans for giving me the greatest strength in the most difficult times,” he said in a post on the social media platform Weibo.
“I’m not perfect, but I believe that as long as I always give my best, I will be better every day. No matter what I (you) dream in the future, I can’t wait for anything to become possible. A new year, a new chapter Look at the world and find yourself, everything can be predicted.
Shen Xiaoting
