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It’s no secret that some K-pop idols have been mistreated by the agencies they were under, and many have even spoken out about the slave contracts they’ve had to sign just to ensure a debut.
Lee Seung-gi, a prominent K-pop idol and actor in the South Korean entertainment industry, was a victim of a slave contract when he debuted under his former agency, Hook Entertainment. The company has managed to cheat him out of billions of won, claiming that he never made any profit in his 18 years under the agency.
While some K-pop idols let their contracts expire before they choose to leave, some are unable to see through the terms of their contracts and resort to filing lawsuits against their agencies.
Omega X is another such group, which recently won a lawsuit against their company Spire Entertainment, who were caught on tape verbally and physically assaulting the members. The lawsuit allowed the group to terminate their contracts with the agency and be able to continue as Omega X.
B.A.P, LOONA, and more K-pop idols who were forced to take their agencies to court
1) B.A.P
Members of B.A.P. filed a lawsuit against their agency TS Entertainment to terminate their contract in 2014 citing unfair treatment. They mentioned that their contracts were too one-sided and the company had been profiting from them without the K-pop idols seeing a cent of that money.
The contracts also had unfair conditions, such as holding the members under the agency for more than the agreed-upon seven years beginning not on the date the contract was signed but upon the release of their first album.
TS Entertainment initially refuted these claims, however, the B.A.P members didn’t back down and released another statement calling out the agency’s lack of accountability. In 2015 the group and the agency were able to reach a settlement and B.A.P continued with TS Entertainment till 2018.
2) Lai Kuanlin
A former Wanna One member, Lai Kuanlin, filed a lawsuit against his agency, Cube Entertainment, in 2019 to terminate his exclusive contract. His agency allegedly added schedules to his calendar without his consent, overworking him.
Although his initial appeal was dismissed, the K-pop idol filed for another lawsuit, and in 2021, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in his favor, ending his contract with Cube Entertainment.
3) Kang Daniel
Even when Kang Daniel was on Produce 101, there were rumors of his mistreatment by his agency LM Entertainment. In 2019 the K-pop idol decided to file a lawsuit against his agency and during the two-month dispute, he was mentally harassed on all fronts, which caused him to get diagnosed with depression.
However, nothing came of the lawsuit as both parties withdrew their injunctions.
4) LOONA
Apart from the ongoing legal battle between LOONA’s Chuu and Blockberry Creative, nine out of the remaining 11 members of the group had also filed lawsuits to terminate their contract with the agency in 2023.
Four of the nine members won their lawsuits, but the remaining five have to carry out the terms of their contract as they had been recently revised, which could’ve weakened their case for contract termination.
5) Luhan, Tao, and Kris
The three Chinese members of EXO, Luhan, Tao, and Kris had all filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment to nullify their contracts. They all filed this lawsuit at different times, with Kris getting the ball rolling in 2014. Shortly after, both Luhan and Tao also filed lawsuits to terminate their exclusive contracts.
The reason for all three members was the same. They mentioned feeling like objects and not being respected by their agency. They all wanted to act but their schedules would be unilaterally decided by the company without taking their wants and needs into consideration. The members felt that they were being mistreated by the company which also led to their deteriorating health.
Kris and Luhan reached a compromise with SM Entertainment, but Tao lost his lawsuit.
Some K-pop idols, such as the members of Highlight, have also created their own companies to manage their affairs and schedules after being burned by their previous agency and the mistreatment they had to suffer because of them.
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