Fin.K.L, a first-generation girl group who debuted in 1998, has announced their return as a collective with the intention of extended group activities.

Agency GEMSTONE E&M stated on September 21 that they are working with all four members Lee Hyori, Ock Joohyun, Lee Jin and Sung Yuri for new activities under the Fin.K.L name, 21 years on from their last release. GEMSTONE E&M have partnered with the members and will oversee planning and management of the group’s activities.

“Fin.K.L is a group with symbolic significance in the history of South Korean popular music,” the agency’s statement reads. “We will sequentially unveil various activities so that we can create new moments with fans who have waited for Fin.K.L for a long time.”

Alongside the announcement, a photograph of the four members together at Lee Hyori’s yoga studio in Seoul was shared on social media.

Upon their debut in 1998, Fin.K.L became a pillar of the first-generation of K-pop. Their debut album Fine Killing Liberty: Blue Rain produced the hit title track “Blue Rain,” with numerous other songs such as “To My Boyfriend,” “Forever Love” and “Now” achieving major mainstream success across their six years of activities. Four studio albums, one remake, and one live album later, the group went on hiatus with a final self-named single album Fin.K.L in 2005.

Since then, each of the four have flourished in varying solo endeavours, all of which remain in entertainment. Lee Hyori became a solo star and variety show personality; Ock Joohyun became a top musical theatre actress; Lee Jin pursued acting in television, and Sung Yuri pursued acting in dramas alongside television hosting.

Fin.K.L did temporarily reunite in 2019, releasing a new single titled “Like the Song Remains,” for the 2019 JTBC variety show Camping Club – but it consisted only of a one-time event and release for the sole purpose of the Camping Club broadcast. Thus, many do not consider it a full reunion. This time around, GEMSTONE E&M has explicitly stated that they are planning for a complete comeback and extended activities in the future. Fans can expect new music, promotions, and performances.

The announcement of Fin.K.L’s return is monumental. As GEMSTONE E&M acknowledged, Fin.K.L remain significant as one of the founding girl groups within the K-pop space. Since then, the industry has exploded on a global scale, with rapid expansion taking place domestically and abroad. To return in the midst of this offers them a place in the expansion and the ability to highlight the genre’s beginnings and development over time.

Fin.K.L are not the only first-generation group to have reunited in recent years, but they are the first to commit to sustained future activities rather than a one-off appearance. Baby V.O.X reunited after 14 years for a performance at the 2024 KBS Song Festival; H.O.T, S.E.S, and Sechs Kies have made occasional returns, largely commemorative in nature. None have made the same forward-looking promise. With Korean music at its highest point of global visibility, and the successful returns of second and third generation groups demonstrating that nostalgia has real commercial pull, a first-generation comeback is a viable career move.