On May 3, YG Entertainment released an official statement and apologized for the cancelation of the debut of the final group from JTBC’s “MIXNINE.”

“MIXNINE” was a survival reality show where YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun Suk went to different agencies searching for trainees and idols with hidden potential. After their competition, the top nine contestants were to debut as a project group. However, it was recently announced that the plan fell through when YG Entertainment and the idols’ agencies couldn’t agree on the terms of the promotion period.

YG Entertainment shared the following statement:

“Hello, this is YG Entertainment, the producing company of ‘MIXNINE.’

“First of all, we’re sincerely grateful for the many fans who have supported ‘MIXNINE’ so far.

“Articles about the canceled debut of the top nine contestants on ‘MIXNINE’ were released before YG Entertainment’s official statement. We are endlessly sorry and feel great responsibility for all those disappointed in the turn of events.

“The original aim of the show ‘MIXNINE’ was to unearth those desperate to achieve their dreams of being a singer despite the harsh environment and to increase awareness through good opportunities of those in other agencies who have already debuted but haven’t succeeded yet.

“In addition, the ultimate goal was to encourage the development of a star group whose name would be known not only in Korea but also in Asia, and even all around the world. This would be achieved through YG Entertainment, which has 21 years of experience in music production, meeting trainees in other agencies for the first time and making use of all their music production system, strategies they developed in time, and global infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, however, the program did not receive the amount of attention that was expected.

“Regardless of the program’s popularity, YG Entertainment’s producer Yang Hyun Suk seriously thought about it and planned strategies for how to make the group consisting of top nine contestants successful. He then met with representatives of six entertainment agencies (including YG Entertainment) in person.

“The contract period of ‘MIXNINE’ was ‘four months + overseas performance’ as known.

“No matter how great the group is, the reality of the music industry these days is that it’s very difficult to get attention immediately after debuting. Because the producers were the ones who understood this better than anyone else, they decided to meet in person to explain the new plans and exchange their opinions.

“What is the new plan of Yang Hyun Suk?

“It was a suggestion that the members each promote in their respective agencies for half a year and for the remaining half, the nine members of ‘MIXNINE’ get together to promote as a team. This would continue over the span of three years.

“Why did Yang Hyun Suk make this new suggestion?

“He believed that the promised four months were not enough even to prepare their new song, film the music video, and practice choreography. In addition, at least 15 songs were required to hold a solo concert and it was impossible to achieve all this in the promised four months.

“After making the first proposal and gathering each agency’s opinions, the majority of the agencies felt that six months was burdensome.

“Yang Hyun Suk also fully understood and accepted that opinion and in the second proposal, he suggested three months in a year with a month of preparation and two months of promotion. Unfortunately, he failed to get the consent of all representatives in the final group meeting held last week.

“The meetings that took place seven times were held in a very comfortable and calm mood and were carried out in an atmosphere of mutual consideration rather than argument. We would like to make it clear that there was not a single moment of discomfort.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the representatives who have dedicated their time for ‘MIXNINE’ in the midst of their busy schedule even though we could not come to an agreement.

“In conclusion, YG Entertainment has no excuses. We thought the least we could do was to let you know what happened, albeit in a summary.

“We are deeply grateful for fans who have supported ‘MIXNINE’ so far. YG Entertainment will sincerely support the future and prosperity of not only the top nine members of ‘MIXNINE’ but also all contestants who participated in ‘MIXNINE.’

“Again, we sincerely thank all of you and deeply apologize for failing to keep our promise.”

Two members of the “MIXNINE” final group, Woo Jin Young and Song Han Gyeom, also recently spoke to their fans through live broadcasts about the cancelation of their debut.

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