LOONA’s future uncertain as agency reportedly faces financial difficulties

The future of K-pop girl group LOONA has been thrown into doubt over their agency’s alleged financial difficulties.

• READ MORE: LOONA talk new mini-album ‘[&]’, their favourite new tracks and the return of leader HaSeul

This is according to a new report by Sports World, citing information from multiple music industry sources. The publication claims that Blockberry Creative, the agency behind LOONA, currently owes up to “hundreds of millions of won” to various external contractors.

Sports World also alleges that many of these external contractors, among them are stylists as well as personnel crucial for the production of LOONA’s music, have worked for months “without compensation”. It also noted that Blockberry Creative recently unilaterally told these contractors to “quit working”.

In addition, the report also claims that Blockberry Creative has also allegedly not paid some of its internal employees’ salaries and expenses late for “several months”, citing a handful of industry sources.

However, some of Sports World’s sources also stated that Blockberry Creative is currently working towards solving its financial situation, although they note that there is allegedly “no easy resolution in sight”. The publication claims the company has “billions of won” in back taxes, unpaid wages and more.

It is currently unclear how Blockberry Creative’s alleged financial situation will affect LOONA’s future moving forward. In June, LOONA released their fourth mini-album ‘[&]’ alongside the lead single ‘PTT (Paint The Town)’.

In a three-star review of ‘[&]’, NME’s Ruby C called the mini-album “points at a group that is unafraid to experiment with music, even if it doesn’t always work out”. She added that “this inclination to look beyond the routine will, undoubtedly, continue to set the girl group apart in the years to come.”