Girls' Generation member and lead vocalist Sunny has announced her departure from SM Entertainment after 16 years.
The lead vocalist announced her departure via Instagram on Tuesday, saying she wanted to reflect on her time with Girls' Generation.
On August 5, the girl group celebrated the 16th anniversary of their debut.
Sunny expressed her gratitude to her fellow Girls' Generation members as well as her family in her letter, which was translated by Soompi. She also thanked the staff members she's worked with, as well as their fans, who "gave [them] strength through their existences alone.
She then dedicated a significant portion of her gratitude post to SM Entertainment, which she characterized as a "company that helped a 19-year-old girl named Lee Sun Kyu debut as Sunny of Girls' Generation.
Debuted in 2009, Girls' Generation was originally a nine-member group. However, member Jessica Jung departed the group in 2014.
Their hits include "Into the New World," "Genie," "Gee," "Lion Heart," and "I Got A Boy." Seohyun, Tiffany, and Sooyoung left SM Entertainment in 2019 to pursue solo projects.
Despite being in different agencies, the eight members reunited for a full-group reunion in August 2022 to commemorate the group's 15th anniversary.
