Wonder Girls push back U.S. activities

Korean idol group Wonder girls [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

K-pop girl band Wonder Girls have temporarily halted their activities in the United States following the replacement of member Mimi who will leave the group at the end of this month.According to the girls' agency JYP Entertainment, their U.S. tour and the release of their first full-length album in the country has been delayed. Both had been set to take place in late February.JYP has yet to set a new date for the tour but have confirmed the album will be released in April.The decision for the postponement comes after the departure of Mimi, who announced earlier this month of returning to Korea to focus on her studies. New member Lim will fill in Mimi's place and work with the group on their upcoming ventures. Lim, 17-years-old, was a JYP trainee for three years and is said to speak four languages -- Korean, English, Mandarin and Cantonese. She had originally been preparing to debut as a member of the Chinese version of the Wonder Girls.The Korean quintet made their debut in 2007 with their first single album "The Wonder Begins". They have been a sensation in the country, placing three singles on top of music charts consecutively. The girls made a successful crossover to the United States last year with their debut single "Nobody," placing in at No. 76 in the Billboard Hot 100, to become the first Korean artists to enter the prestigious chart. Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@asiae.co.krEditor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>