Joy Joins Irene and Seulgi in Renewing Contract with SM

Wendy and Yeri Remain as Joy Joins Irene and Seulgi in Renewing Contract with SM Entertainment

Red Velvet’s Joy has officially renewed her contract with SM Entertainment, following in the footsteps of Irene and Seulgi.

On January 14, SM Entertainment announced, “We have successfully renewed our contract with Joy, built on years of trust and partnership. We will continue to provide full support for her activities across all areas.” They added, “We are delighted to continue this journey with Joy, following Irene and Seulgi. We will do our best to help her thrive as a member of Red Velvet, as a solo artist, and as actress Park Soo-young, showcasing her limitless potential.”

Joy shared her thoughts through the agency, stating, “Through deep conversations with the people I’ve trusted and worked with for the past decade, I realized I want to continue walking this path with them. I will do my best to show fans diverse sides of myself through a positive synergy with SM.”

Debuting in 2014, Red Velvet has surpassed the so-called "7-year curse," marking their 10th anniversary in 2024. This milestone has sparked widespread interest in the members' contract renewals. Seulgi was the first to renew her contract in August 2023, followed by Irene in February 2024. Now, Joy is the third member to stay with SM, leaving Wendy and Yeri’s decisions as the focus of attention.

Recently, Wendy stirred speculation about her contract status after announcing her absence from the 2025 SMTOWN LIVE event. She expressed her frustration, saying, “The discussion with the company happened over a month ago, but the announcement was only made today. I feel sorry for the fans who were looking forward to seeing all five members of Red Velvet perform together.” This led to rumors of a potential contract impasse.

With Seulgi’s renewal approaching its second year and Joy now recommitting, the spotlight remains on Wendy and Yeri’s choices.

Meanwhile, Red Velvet has solidified their position as one of K-pop’s top girl groups, with hit songs like "Ice Cream Cake," "Red Flavor," "Feel My Rhythm," and "Cosmic." The group successfully wrapped up their 10th-anniversary Asia fan concert tour last September, once again proving their strong global influence.

Written by Heo Ji Hyeong

Translated by Lee So Yun

- Any copying, republication or redistribution of STARNEWS’s content is expressly prohibited without prior consent of STARNEWS. Copyright infringement is subject to criminal and civil penalties.