The Boyz Members Seek Contract Termination Amidst Dispute with Agency

Most members of the K-pop group The Boyz have requested to terminate their exclusive contract with their agency, One Hundred Label, citing issues such as delayed payments. However, the agency has refused to accept this demand.

According to the music industry on the 19th, nine members of The Boyz, excluding New, recently sent a certification of contents to the agency expressing their intention to terminate the contract. The members highlighted delayed payment of settlements as a major issue.

Why Did The Boyz Notify Contract Termination?

Kim Moon-hee, a lawyer from Yulchon LLC representing the nine members, stated, "The artists notified the termination of the exclusive contract on February 10th due to a significant breach of contract by One Hundred Label and the irreparable damage to the trust relationship. Accordingly, the contract has been lawfully terminated and is no longer in effect."

Kim claimed, "Since the settlement payment for the second quarter of last year, the agency has not paid the artists the proper settlement for all activities from July 2025 onwards. Despite multiple requests to review documents such as the contract to verify transparency, the agency refused without just cause."

He further pointed out, "Recently, it was revealed that the agency received an advance payment worth hundreds of billions of won based on the artists' activities, but they have not provided an explanation for the current situation where settlements are not being paid."

The nine members of The Boyz plan to proceed with their scheduled activities, including a concert in April, without any disruptions. Kim explained, "The Boyz members have agreed that no harm should be passed on to third parties, such as fans, partners, or other stakeholders."

Agency's Response to The Boyz's Contract Termination Request

On the same day, One Hundred Label countered, stating, "We cannot accept The Boyz's request to terminate the exclusive contract."

According to Ten Asia's report on the 19th, the agency's stance is that the members should return the remaining amount of the contract payment after deducting the settlement amount, calculated on a pro-rata basis (dividing the total contract period by the number of days and calculating the amount for the remaining days not fulfilled).

The agency explained, "Due to ongoing controversies surrounding the members, such as dating rumors involving Juyeon and actress Cynthia, character issues with Sunwoo, and prostitution allegations against Ju Haknyeon, it has been impossible to generate revenue through full group or individual activities, resulting in continued losses."

In their statement, the agency added, "Initially, we signed contracts with each member under the premise that all 11 members would work as one team, providing them with high contract payments. However, due to controversies involving the members last year, this premise was broken, and the departure of specific members has made normal activities challenging."

Controversy Over Agency Support Withdrawal: What's the Truth?

The agency continued, "Despite the deficit situation, we have been persuading related parties to maintain the team." Regarding recent reports of support withdrawal, such as vehicles, managers, and practice rooms, they clarified, "We expressed our intention to maintain support, but the members rejected it first." They also denied allegations of misusing the accommodation deposit by CEO Cha Gawon, indicating potential legal action.

Meanwhile, The Boyz debuted in 2017 and moved from IST Entertainment to One Hundred Label in December 2024. They reportedly signed a three-year exclusive contract with One Hundred Label.

Min-kyung Lee, Ten Asia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr

Related Topics: The Boyz, One Hundred Label, Contract Termination, K-pop Dispute