KATHMANDU: Former member of the troubled K-pop girl group AOA Choa is ending her three-year hiatus and forging a solo career.

The singer announced her exclusive contract with new agency Great M Entertainment on August 21 and her eminent return to the entertainment industry as a solo artiste.

Kpopstarz states that Choa, through her agency has said: "I sincerely thank the fans who waited for us without forgetting and will work with sincerity."

Choa debuted with AOA in 2012 as the main vocalist and oldest member. She received massive love from fans for her outstanding singing skills and charms in various entertainment shows. However, she withdrew in June 2017 due to health reasons, and did not update her fans on her whereabouts and plans.

The portal states that Choa first hinted at her return with the OST Here I Am for the drama To All The Guys Who Loved Me. The song was originally inserted into the drama without revealing the singer's identity. This, the portal notes, made Choa feel the presence of her voice and drew attention even before its release.

Choa's return has become a hot topic in light of the recent AOA controversy — former AOA member Kwon Mina revealed that she was bullied by leader Jimin for nearly 10 years, and that she tried to harm herself due to this.

The portal also notes that Choa's new label Great M Entertainment is a newly established agency by Kim Young-Sun, a founding member and managing director of her former agency FNC Entertainment. CEO Kim produced AOA, FT Island, CNBLUE, N.Flying, and SF9.