Lee Chaeyoung & Baek Jiheon imply that they may not be able to use the group name fromis_9 under their new agency

Fans of fromis_9 believe that HYBE Labels may be keeping the members from using their group name under their new agency, ASND. 

Previously, fromis_9 members Lee Saerom, Song Hayoung, Park Jiwon, Noh Jisun, Lee Seoyeon, Lee Chaeyoung, Lee Nakyung, and Baek Jiheon parted ways with Pledis Entertainment after the expiration of their exclusive contracts on December 31, 2024. 

5 of the group's members, including Song Hayoung, Park Jiwon, Lee Nakyung, Lee Chaeyoung, and Baek Jiheon then signed with a new agency, ASND, in January of 2025. At the time, ASND stated that negotiations with Pledis Entertainment for the use of the group name fromis_9 were still "ongoing". 

However, based on recent messages shared by members Lee Chaeyoung and Baek Jiheon via the fan and artist communication platform fromm, the members may be encountering some difficulties in the negotiations. 

Lee Chaeyoung said,

"flover, I promise I'll come back as fromis_9. I really want to. I want to call flover by your name. But if we end up coming back with a different name that's not fromis_9, you still have to love us, okay? It's not up to us.. I'll still do my best..! With the members. Just let us love in peace.. pleaseeeeee. If we can't use the group name, that means we can't use the fan club name too, right? Oh, wait, everyone still uses the fan club name?? Thank goodness, we can still protect flover. What a relief. All in all, don't worry and wait just a little longer. This unnie will protect fromis_9. This noona will protect us~~"

Similarly, Baek Jiheon wrote to her fans,

"It's an upsetting morning but let's try to get through it. We're just trying our best to protect our group name. I wish that others wouldn't try to take advantage of that. I wanted to stay quiet, but I was so upset that I couldn't sleep well last night. But there are still hurdles to overcome! I wrote flover and then erased it haha. I have so much I want to say, flover. But I'll stop ranting for now. You might be shocked if I keep on saying more. But don't misunderstand!! Just know that we never once considered anything in terms of money, all we wanted was to protect our group name.. flover, you see, what we wanted was just the kinds of negotiations that ordinary people go through haha. flover, we'll get through this somehow but, I hope that flover will also try to protect us. That's it!"

In response, netizens commented,

"HYBE... why am I not surprised."

"This is the fate that awaits every HYBE idol group..."

"I wonder what she means by 'ordinary negotiations'.."

"There are precedents for this. Most of the groups who are promoting with their original names nowadays signed some kind of agreement that allowed them to buy the name from the company. So if fromis_9 can't do that... that means Pledis put a price on the group name that they couldn't afford..?"

"Now I'm scared... If they're being difficult with fromis_9, then there's no way that Pledis will give up the name Seventeen..."

"You can tell from GFRIEND that HYBE isn't going to give up on anything it owns."

"She literally said, 'You might be shocked if I keep saying more'. That means there's some stuff going on."

"It sounds like Pledis wants more than just money."

"Let's take it to court and see how HYBE reacts then."

"Bang Si Hyuk's heart is as tiny as his belly is wide."

"Oh HYBE, acting just as I expected ^^"

"Are they serious lol. I'm pretty sure Pledis wasn't even the company that came up with the name fromis_9 in the first place."