YG Entertainment’s upcoming new girl group, BabyMonster, will be debuting with one less member than it first announced, the K-pop agency said Wednesday.

The announcement came shortly after News1 reported that former member Ahyeon quit BabyMonster due to “personal reasons” and will not be debuting with the group.

“Ahyeon has decided to take some time to rest due to health issues,” the agency said in a press release.

“We feel sad to not be able to show Ahyeon as BabyMonster,” it said. “But we promise to provide her with all resources so that she may return in her best condition.”

Earlier this month, YG Entertainment said that BabyMonster will debut as a seven-member girl group on Nov. 27 after postponing the debut date two months later than the initial September plan.

Members Ruka, Chiquita, Haram, Pharita, Rora and Asa — two Korean, two Thai and two Japanese — will debut as planned. The agency has been rolling out the photographs of each member one by one and Asa and Chiquita’s new pictures have been shared so far.

BabyMonster is YG Entertainment’s first new girl group in seven years since Blackpink and the agency’s first new band in three years after Treasure debuted in 2020.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]