UNCHILD Delay Fuels Financial Rumors, HIGHUP Breaks Silence After a Month

Rookie girl group UNCHILD's comeback was abruptly postponed, and its agency, HIGHUP Entertainment, has apologized for the disruption, saying it is reorganizing its internal operations.

In a statement released Sept. 29, HIGHUP said, "During the recent process of reorganizing our internal operating system, unavoidable delays occurred in some artist schedules and content production." The agency issued the statement amid online speculation about the company and its artists.

UNCHILD had been scheduled to release its new single "TiNG TiNG" on Sept. 2. But HIGHUP unexpectedly postponed the release on Aug. 24 without announcing a new date. Updates from the group also stopped, prompting concern among fans. Speculation grew after a person claiming to work in the industry alleged online that HIGHUP was facing financial difficulties. The person's identity and claim have not been verified.

"In particular, we sincerely apologize for the frustration and concern caused by our inability to sufficiently deliver new updates and content over the past month, as well as for the worry caused by this communication gap," the agency said. It added, "We are currently carrying out the necessary reorganization procedures in sequence to ensure smooth artist activities."

Regarding its artists' plans, HIGHUP said, "STAYC is focused on safely finishing their scheduled tour through October, and UNCHILD is preparing with the goal of making a comeback in the fourth quarter of this year." The agency did not give a specific release date for UNCHILD.

UNCHILD is a six-member girl group that debuted on April 21 as HIGHUP's first new group since STAYC. The group drew attention before its debut in part because member Na Haeun had appeared on television as a child and became known as a "dance prodigy."