Several members of FANTASY BOYS and BAE173 have won their legal battle against agency PocketDol Studio regarding the suspension of their exclusive contracts.
According to attorney Heo Sung Hoon from Law Firm Ryu, who represents six FANTASY BOYS members and BAE173 member Doha, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of the artists in their injunction request filed on April 17.
The agency immediately filed an objection after the initial ruling, but the court reportedly dismissed the objection as well, handing another victory to the idols.
In an official statement released on May 14, the legal representative explained that the court repeatedly pointed out issues regarding PocketDol Studio’s failure to properly fulfill settlement and accounting obligations toward the artists.
“The court acknowledged the agency’s contract violations,” the statement said. “As a result, six members of FANTASY BOYS, including Kang Min Seo, and BAE173 member Doha are now free from their exclusive contract relationship with PocketDol Studio and can independently pursue entertainment activities.”
However, the legal dispute is far from over.
On May 15, FANTASY BOYS’ management label Funky Studio and PocketDol Studio released a joint official statement announcing plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The agencies also stated they intend to pursue both individual lawsuits and team-level damage compensation claims against members Kim Gyu Rae, Hikaru, and Hong Sung Min, all of whom remain under exclusive contracts with PocketDol Studio.
The company criticized the court’s decision, arguing: “This was a global-scale project involving investments exceeding 10 billion won (approximately 100 million USD). Granting the injunction based only on partial deficiencies in supporting documents overlooks the realities of entertainment industry practices.”
The case has drawn significant attention within the K-pop industry, as disputes over contract transparency, settlements, and artist management continue to become increasingly common among idol groups.
Sources: Daum | 텐아시아
You must be logged in to post a comment.