fromis_9 is back! A lot has changed since their last comeback, and while flovers have followed every step of the journey, casual fans might be wondering: “What happened between now and Supersonic?”
The past few months have been a rollercoaster ride for fromis_9 fans. From the contract expiration news, to uncertainty about the group’s future, to questioning whether ASND is even real… All of the anxious questions and speculative theories by flovers were constantly shared across social media platforms, with most fans held together by an everlasting supply of copium.
In a nutshell, only five members—Hayoung, Jiwon, Chaeyoung, Nagyung, and Jiheon—chose to continue as fromis_9 under the newly established label ASND (read as Ascend). Negotiations for the group to keep their name initially didn’t go in their favor, but they were ultimately able to secure the “fromis_9” brand.
Meanwhile, Saerom, Jisun, and Seoyeon decided to pursue their own paths. Saerom expressed her desire to revisit her dream of becoming an actress, and Jisun appears to be leaning into a career as an influencer. Seoyeon hasn’t announced any specific plans yet.
To better understand the timeline of events surrounding fromis_9, this write-up will highlight the key moments in their transition from Pledis Entertainment to ASND Entertainment.
fromis_9’s last dance with Pledis Entertainment
On November 29, 2024, Pledis Entertainment announced that fromis_9’s exclusive contract would expire on December 31, 2024. The statement included details that all members had decided to part ways with the company, and that the group would release a fan song titled “from” on December 23, 2024 to express their gratitude to flovers.
Despite the looming contract expiration, fromis_9 continued to guest in entertainment content. They appeared on variety shows such as Jo Kwon’s Modest Councilor, Chuu Can Do It and Workman, and the official fromis_9 YouTube channel continued uploading videos, including Hayoung’s 9_log, Saerom’s flaylist, and the recording behind for “from.”
In mid-December, MBC announced the lineup for Gayo Daejejeon 2024, and fromis_9 was included. Many flovers saw this as the group’s final performance under Pledis, especially since the event was scheduled for December 31, the same day their contracts officially ended.
However, fans weren’t able to watch the performance broadcast live. Following the Jeju Air plane crash, South Korea declared a national mourning period, leading MBC to delay the broadcast. The performance was still prerecorded and carried out as planned on December 31, but it wasn’t aired until Seollal (Lunar New Year), at the end of January.
As a final farewell, Pledis released a video montage highlighting fromis_9’s journey from their pre-debut song “Glass Shoes” to their most recent moments together. It also featured a lyric video for “from,” written in the members’ handwriting. The song encapsulated fromis_9’s heartfelt message to flovers, reflecting on the years they spent together and sharing their hopes for the future. It also featured messages from flovers, showing that fans felt the same way—thankful for the memories and supportive of whatever came next.
fromis_9’s 7th Anniversary, and then some
As the new year began, fans started speculating which company might take in fromis_9 as a group. Many drew comparisons to other girl groups that had left their former agencies, wondering what direction fromis_9 might take. By mid-January, it wasn’t just fans wondering what would happen to fromis_9, as industry rumors surfaced that several members were set to sign with Big Planet Made (BPM) Entertainment, but BPM quickly denied the reports.
On January 24, fromis_9 celebrated their 7th anniversary in a simple yet meaningful way: by sharing a photo of a strawberry cake with seven lit candles, with each member tagging all members in their Instagram story posts. The gesture sparked hope among fans that the group might continue with all eight members after all.
However, this hope was short-lived. Just two days after the anniversary, news broke that Hayoung, Jiwon, Chaeyoung, Nagyung, and Jiheon had signed with a new entertainment agency called ASND. The announcement brought mixed emotions among fromis_9 fans—it implied only five members would continue as a group, and the suddenness of the news, coupled with the lack of information about ASND or who was behind it, added to the uncertainty.
The former members: Where are they now?
While fans waited for confirmation on whether fromis_9 would truly continue with just five members, and whether they’d even promote under the same name, Saerom was featured in an interview with IZE Magazine. The interview not only gave fans insight into Saerom’s future plans, but also confirmed that only five members would continue as a group.
In the two-part interview, Saerom reflected on her final performance at MBC Gayo Daejejeon 2024, how the group came to the decision to move forward, and her personal plans as she begins a new chapter as an actress. While there has been no official news yet about her signing with an acting agency, she has shared multiple profile photos on Instagram, showcasing her versatility and possibly building up a personal modeling portfolio alongside her acting aspirations.
Jisun hasn’t explicitly shared her future plans, but she’s taken bold and confident steps toward becoming a social media influencer. It began with a “Get Ready With Me” Instagram Reel in March, followed by the launch of her RedNote account in April, and her first YouTube Shorts in May. Her Instagram feed is now a curated mix of personal moments and sponsored content, giving fans a glimpse of her evolving identity beyond idol life. If there’s any clue to what she’s embracing now, her caption in one Instagram post captures it beautifully: “More than just a rose, I’m here to bloom, to dream, and to create.”
As of writing, Seoyeon hasn’t shared much publicly about her future plans. However, there are hints of the direction she might be exploring. She attended the Allure Korea Beauty Bar event with Jisun, suggesting a possible interest in influencer-style activities. She’s also shown that music is still part of her life, posting photos and clips on Instagram of herself working on music. More recently, Seoyeon landed modeling opportunities with ROEM and World Vision Korea, signaling that she’s keeping her options open. While her next steps remain uncertain from a fan’s perspective, it’s clear that doors are opening for her in several directions.
Having parted ways with the group back in mid-2022, Gyuri is currently signed with Namoo Actors, with her most recent acting project being MBC’s When the Phone Rings. She received a Best New Actress nomination at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards for her role as Na Yuri in the same drama. Earlier in 2024, she also appeared in tvN’s O’PENing: Our Beautiful Summer, one of five single-episode dramas under the O’PENing project, which collectively won honors at the Houston International Film Festival. Most recently, Gyuri appeared as a presenter at the 34th Seoul Music Awards.
The new era of fromis_9
It was mid-February when ASND finally began turning the gears. The announcements came gradually, with each succeeding post building anticipation and solidifying the return of fromis_9.
ASND first made its move by launching its own social media accounts that came with a purposeful and symbolic quote, reinforcing the meaning behind the company’s name and mission: “achieve something never done before.”
The following day, the K-pop communication app fromm announced that Hayoung, Jiwon, Chaeyoung, Nagyung, and Jiheon would be opening their own individual channels to connect with fans. The platform functions similarly to Weverse DM, signifying that ASND’s first priority was reestablishing a direct connection between the members and flovers.
Notably, the announcement listed each member by name, with no mention of what the quintet’s group name would be, at least not yet. This sparked another wave of speculation among fans, who wondered whether ASND was still in negotiations with Pledis to secure the rights to the fromis_9 name, or if the group would be rebranded under a new name entirely.
It was a month later when the uncertainty was finally put to rest. At 1:24 PM KST, an allusion to the group’s debut date, ASND posted a video simply titled “fromis_9”, officially confirming the group would continue under their original name. In the hours that followed, the company released new profile photos of each member, with each post scheduled to match the timestamp of their birthday—for example, Jiwon’s photos were uploaded at 3:20 PM KST to reflect her March 20 birthday.
Alongside the photos, each member had a short interview, and flovers quickly discovered a hidden message: the first letter of each interview question spelled out “A comeback in June.”
ASND made another move the following month, announcing the launch of a new YouTube channel for fromis_9—a clear step toward rebuilding the group’s presence on social media. Things took an even more promising turn a few days later, when fromis_9’s official X account (formerly managed by Pledis) shared updated links to the group’s official platforms.
ASND successfully regained control of nearly all of fromis_9’s social media accounts, with the exception of YouTube. While no explanation was given for this, fans still saw it as a significant win. At the very least, fromis_9 wouldn’t have to rebuild their entire online presence from scratch.
April also marked the return of fromis_9’s variety content appearances. To name a few, Chaeyoung resumed her role as host of Hanwha Life Esports’ (HLE) online series E-sports Fan Experience Season 2, while Nagyung launched her own solo series, Super E Nagyung.
By May, fromis_9 opened a brand-new channel dedicated to their new variety content series, Studio fromis_9. The concept behind the show carries a similar spirit and structure to the fan-favorite Channel_9, which was known for releasing weekly episodes every Thursday—a format that Studio fromis_9 continues to follow.
Now in June, fromis_9 has officially made their return with their 6th mini album, From Our 20’s. Alongside the album release and the “LIKE YOU BETTER” music video, the group has an exciting stretch of activities ahead—including music show appearances, performances at Waterbomb festivals, and the kickoff of their NOW TOMORROW. world tour.
The new era of fromis_9 has officially begun. We look forward to everything that lies ahead, and we can’t wait to cheer them on every step of the way.
One may ask: Who is behind ASND?
We don’t know much about ASND yet, aside from the fact that the company representative is a man named Seo Beopsu.
But whoever they are, they’ve managed to secure the fromis_9 brand, regain control of the group’s social media accounts, and even present a stream of new opportunities for the members. So far, they’ve been living up to their name — “achieve something never done before.” Hopefully, the achievements continue, and only lead to good things from here on out.
Writer: Mitch
Editor: Bruno
Special thanks to Monk
Follow us on Twitter.
Join the flover community on Reddit.
