For Gfriend, Soumu already being "eaten" by Bighit. In my opinion, Bighit intention was never focus on Gfriend or Seventeen. But rather the company mainly wanted to focus on the company' IPO (Initial Price Offer) as public company. Before the company managed to acquire GF and SVT, the investors were skeptical about the price for IPO, because they thought Bighit depended too much on BTS. And BTS would soon be enlisted. TXT hasn't produced enough success story in term of recognition in kpop. With the acquisitions, Bighit chance for better IPO rose. The price for those 2 acquisitions are negligible compare to money raised from successul IPO.
Hence, after the IPO, Bighit doesn't need Soumu or GF anymore. GF itself is already 7 years old group. Maximum they can milk the group for another 3 years, but the problem is GF itself is barely part of top group. The group couldn't match up to TWICE, BLACKPINK or RED VELVET anymore or perhaps MAMAMOO, or worse the group is slowly left out by ITZY, IZONE (disband soon), EVERGLOW, GIDLE... etc.
ADDED:
I would guess that Soumu purposely wasn't given enough fund by parent company, hence cannot offer adequate contract to Gfriend. If my prediction is right, Seventeen might have similar problem in the future when they want to negotiate new contract.
Bighit as a company that produce BTS, with huge money that they raised, the company would surely want to create and to focus on new GG that has longer lifespan, which the company has better control over the image, and produce better legacy for Bighit's name in term of the origin of the creation.
What's next? Seventeen disband?