Weeekly’s Shin Ji-yoon leaves the group to “focus on her mental heath”

Weeekly member Shin Ji-yoon has left the K-pop girl group, following a series of hiatuses over the past year.

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Today (June 1), the girl group’s label IST Entertainment took to social media to announce member Shin’s departure from the group. This comes after a series of hiatuses the K-pop idol took over the past year – the first in August last year and one starting this February – both times due to anxiety.

“With the artist’s health as our top priority, Ji-yoon herself, her family, medical experts and IST Entertainment had been cautiously discussing whether she was ready to resume her activities,” the label noted.

“We have reached the decision that Ji-yoon needs to be in an environment where she can focus on her mental health above all else and that she should continue to focus on receiving treatment,” IST Entertainment added, while noting that Weeekly will continue on as a six-member group from today onwards.

[NOTICE]

안녕하세요.
IST엔터테인먼트입니다.

위클리 신지윤의 팀 활동 마무리와 관련하여 팬 여러분께 안내 드립니다. pic.twitter.com/YReN1Z7iKW

— Weeekly (위클리) (@_Weeekly) June 1, 2022

“We deeply apologise for the concern we have caused, and we ask for your unwavering support for Ji-yoon so that she can regain her bright and lovely energy,” IST Entertainmen added.

Shin had first taken a hiatus from the group in August 2021, and later returned to the girl group four months later in December. However, soon after Weeekly made their comeback earlier this year with the single album ‘Play Game: Awake’, Shin went on another hiatus in late-February.

Meanwhile, Weeekly were previously announced as part of the line-up for HallyuPopFest in London, set to be held in July 2022 at the 12,500-capacity OVO Arena Wembley. It is unclear if Shin’s depature from the group have changed those plans.

Other artists slated to perform at the festival include MAMAMOO’s Hwasa, P1Harmony, Kep1er, ASTRO, EVERGLOW and more.

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