She has left the agency after more than 16 years.
In a letter on her personal Instagram account on Tuesday, Girls’ Generation member Sunny posted a plain pink photo.
In the caption to the corresponding picture, Sunny shared a personal letter directed to fans and the people who “helped her 19-year-old self reach her dreams to debut [as an idol].” She expressed gratitude to SM Entertainment, the group’s label, alongside their managers, and employees.
In a statement, SM Entertainment said that their contract with Sunny had expired. They expressed their thanks to Sunny for the 16 years that they have worked together, and also wished her the best in her future activities.
Sunny, born as Lee Sung Gyu, is a niece of SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo Man. She joined the company at the age of 9 as a trainee, left for awhile, and rejoined SM years later.
In August 2007, she was officially introduced as one of the original nine members of Girls’ Generation. As a group, they went on to release many successful hits, including ‘Gee,’ ‘Oh!,’ ‘The Boys,’ and ‘I Got A Boy’.
In 2018, Sunny also participated in the unit ‘Oh! GG,’ which also consists of Taeyeon, Yoona, Yuri, and Hyoyeon.
In 2022, the 8-member-group reunited for their 15th anniversary special ‘FOREVER 1’.
It remains to be known where Sunny will head to next upon her exit from SM Entertainment.