UNCHILD's Comeback Postponed and Disbandment Rumors Spread... Revealing the Reality of Small Agency Idols

Rookie girl group UNCHILD stands at a crossroads just five months after their debut.

Following the postponement of their first comeback originally scheduled for last September, disbandment rumors have even spread online.

The agency has not released an official statement regarding disbandment or financial difficulties. However, on the 24th of last month, they announced that the release of their second digital single 'TiNG TiNG' would inevitably be postponed due to internal company circumstances, stating that future schedules would be announced as soon as they are confirmed. Originally, UNCHILD was scheduled to release 'TiNG TiNG' on the 2nd, and the logo and teasers had already been released. However, even after about a month has passed, no new schedule has been announced.

UNCHILD is the first girl group introduced by High Up Entertainment in about six years since STAYC. They took their first steps in the music industry with their debut single 'We Are UNCHILD' last April. The connection between the disbandment rumors raised online and the comeback postponement has not been confirmed.

The industry views it as becoming more difficult for rookie idols to maintain market response after their debut. About 10 years ago, it was said that around 3 billion won would suffice to attempt the debut and initial activities of a rookie group, but recently, there are talks that around 10 billion won is required to get a team on track. Music video production costs have also jumped from the 150 million to 200 million won level seen 5 to 6 years ago to the 400 million to 500 million won level recently, and if the scale increases, it can cost more than 800 million to 1 billion won. An executive at a small to medium-sized agency said that it costs at least about 14 billion won to create and operate one girl group for about two years. In 2024 data from KOCCA, the average annual music production cost for large corporations was 43.11 billion won, while for small and medium-sized enterprises it was 1.49 billion won, showing a difference of about 29 times.

Nevertheless, cases of a turnaround from small agencies have not completely disappeared. RESCENE, under The Muze Entertainment, did not receive much attention upon their debut in 2024, but they expanded their fanbase by steadily releasing albums and content. As member-centered online content received unexpected responses, the group and 'LOVE ATTACK' gained attention again, and the first-week sales of their new album increased significantly compared to their debut, exceeding 100,000 copies. Their scope of activities, such as advertisements and university festivals, has also expanded. However, as this case was also possible because they continued activities until public interest arrived, it shows the reality that for small agency idols, the time and money to endure have become more important than opportunities.

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