BamBam ponders ‘retirement from the entertainment industry’ after leaving JYP

Group GOT7's BamBam confessed his concerns. He even thought about retiring from the entertainment industry after his contract with JYP Entertainment ended. Even though I tried hard, I didn't get as good of an evaluation as I thought for the past seven years.

BamBam is currently focusing on his personal activities. His face is shown so often that it can be described as his ‘second heyday’. However, the achievement of GOT7 still remains.

BamBam appeared as a guest on MBC's entertainment program 'Radio Star', which aired on the 25th. On this day, BamBam announced, “Originally, we had a lot of overseas schedules, but these days, we also have a lot of domestic schedules.”

He continued, "After my contract with JYP ended, I lost interest in life in the entertainment industry. I thought, 'I'm really trying hard, why can't I do this?' So I tried to quit."

BamBam started his entertainment career as a member of GOT7. He continued his music career for several years under the roof of JYP, which is considered one of the top three entertainment companies in Korea. Awards at various awards ceremonies, top rankings on overseas music charts, and music income thanks to the firepower of the fandom. Although many achievements were achieved, there were some regrets.

GOT7's domestic awareness is not as well known overseas. In the end, it had to be labeled as an ‘export group’. The fact that it was less popular domestically than overseas was a fatal flaw.

Usually, idol groups sign a ‘7-year contract’ with entertainment companies. After 7 years of activities, GOT7 members must have been thinking about their future. Excluding the name JYP was enough to raise doubts about the competitiveness of each member.

After that, their choice was to terminate the contract. Some people would have wanted to compete through acting, while others might have wanted to compete through singing or appearing on TV shows. Additionally, even after the contract ended, the brand ‘GOT7’ was able to continue. This is because negotiations for the transfer of trademark rights with JYP resulted in a successful outcome.

Although GOT7 maintained its name, it failed to produce a better report card. This was also due to low awareness in Korea. The album ‘GOT7’ released after leaving JYP sold more than 370,000 copies in the first week of release. Even with my excellent grades, I couldn't just smile. The strong initial sales performance came from the firepower of ‘overseas fandom’.

GOT7 members are seeking fans through more diverse individual activities than during their JYP days. BamBam’s performance, which has received relatively little attention, proves this.

However, there are still some regrets about the group's activities. Here, ‘military repatriation’ inevitably comes. Member Jinyoung has already announced his plans to enlist this year. A situation where a physical vacuum is predicted. Attention is focused on whether the group will continue its narrative as GOT7.

Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr