Michelle Topham 
Korean actor/singer Lee Jun Ho (King the Land) is leaving his agency JYP Entertainment after 17 years under contract with them.
The news came earlier today via various Korean entertainment media, with several stressing the actor and his agency had parted ways amicably.
JYP Entertainment themselves commented:
We would like to inform you that the exclusive contract with Lee Jun-ho will end on April 15. After lengthy and in-depth discussions, both the company and the artist have decided not to renew the contract.
Considering it is still a month before Lee Jun Ho’s contract with JYP Entertainment comes to an end, an article by OSEN also pointed out a potential reason why an announcement has been made so early:
It is uncommon to formalize a “separation” when there is still a month left before the contract expires. In most cases, if contract renewal negotiations fall through at this stage, actors or singers quietly seek new agencies or plan to establish their own one-person agencies.
However, in such situations, news may leak out about “discussing contracts with Agency A” or “meeting with Agency B” before properly concluding matters with the current company, leading to unnecessary noise and media coverage.
This process can sometimes create unwarranted distractions.
The writer also suggested JYP Entertainment has been extremely courteous to Lee Jun Ho due to their 17-year relationship, by making sure he has time to “freely meet and explore new agencies without pressure” by making the separation announcement early.
Of course, Lee Jun Ho has been similarly courteous by keeping any negotiations he may be engaged in with other agencies private.
It will be interesting then to find out where he ends up.
RELATED: Lee Jun Ho starring in Netflix drama Cashero – here’s what we know so far
As for the actor himself, he recently injured himself during an event, and has been seen on crutches, with JYP Entertainment telling the press he had injured a ligament.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old actor’s next project is Cashero — an upcoming Netflix drama in which he stars alongside Kim Hye Joon, Kim Byung Chul and Kim Hyang Gi.
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Rachel M. Reeves 
