Is the ‘7-year itch’ a thing of the past? For decades, K-pop fans dreaded the “seven-year curse.” Under Korea’s standard entertainment contract, the maximum term for exclusive deals is capped at seven years. As groups approached that mark, breakups, member departures or label changes became common. The curse claimed some of the industry’s biggest names. In 2016, YG Entertainment’s flagship girl group 2NE1 disbanded seven years after its 2009 debut. Around the same time, Starship Entertainment’s Sistar, known as Korea’s “summer queens,” Sept. 22, 2025