Singer BoA (39·Kwon Bo-ah) will part ways with SM Entertainment after 25 years together.

On the 12th, SM Entertainment issued an official statement, saying, “After extensive and in-depth discussions with BoA, we agreed to conclude our 25-year journey as of December 31.”

BoA was scouted by SM in 1998 when she was in sixth grade of elementary school, and in 2000, at age 14, she released her debut album <ID; Peace B>, embarking on the path of a singer. She went on to be loved for signature songs such as ‘No.1’, ‘Atlantis Princess’, and ‘Only One’. In particular, she gained major popularity in Japan, becoming the first Korean singer to have two albums reach million-seller status on the Oricon chart in Japan, helping lead the K-pop Korean Wave.

Notably, she was an artist personally discovered by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM and former executive producer, and she was regarded as a symbolic presence both inside and outside the company. In recognition of these contributions, she was appointed a non-registered director at SM in 2014, and later demonstrated her prowess as a producer by participating in the production of rookie groups such as NCT Wish.

SM said of BoA, “She pioneered the Korean Wave across Asia as an ‘icon of overseas expansion’ and an ‘Asian star’, has received much love from global music fans, and has become a role model for countless younger artists leading the K-pop boom.”

It added, “It was truly a great honor to be able to accompany those brilliant steps,” and, “For 25 years, she has been the pride, the boast, and the symbol of SM.”

SM also added that it supports BoA in her future endeavors.