AKMU Lee Chanhyuk directly explained why he left YG and established a new agency.
On the 13th, the channel "Chimchakman" featured AKMU Lee Chanhyuk and Lee Suhyun, who recently released a new record and returned to the music scene.
Earlier, AKMU began their career as singers after signing an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment in 2013, and their partnership ended when the contract expired at the end of December 2025. They left YG, where they had spent as long as 12 years, and AKMU made a fresh start by establishing the independent label "Yeonggamui Samteo". In addition, they made a comeback this month with their fourth full-length album, "Gaehwa."
On "Chimchakman," the host asked about the new agency, saying, "Is there a reason you became independent (from YG)?" Lee Chanhyuk said, "We became independent because the time had come." The host joked, "Is it time to betray them?" which flustered Lee Chanhyuk, who said, "But the wording has been...," and his sister Lee Suhyun deftly responded, "You have to get used to it. This is what it's like here," drawing laughter.
Changing the question, the host asked, "It feels odd to call it betrayal — is it more like graduation?" Lee Chanhyuk said, "We renewed our contract once and learned a lot. While learning, the scope of my producing expanded so much that my own color grew larger," and explained, "What I want became very detailed, and the company has its own color, so there came a point where my musical color was somewhat separating. The company knew it, I knew it, and after working together for several more years, we came to realize it. We realized 'now AKMU could do well on its own.'"
Lee Chanhyuk also emphasized, "I felt that even if we left YG, we could realize what we want 100%. YG also supports us. Rather than betrayal, this is a beautiful relationship. It is the exact opposite (of betrayal)."
[photo] "Chimchakman" screen capture
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