Fantasy Boys Yoo Jun-won’s Lawsuit: Celebrity’s Power Trip Or Agency’s Pressure On Artist?

Attention is focused on the result of Yoo Jun-won’s legal battle with Fantasy Boys’s agency

Yoo Jun-won caused a stir when he filed a lawsuit against Phunky Studio, the management agency of Fantasy Boys on August 22nd. Earlier, Yoo Jun-won won the No.1 in MBC’s audition program “Boy Fantasy”, which ended in June, and joined the 12-member project boy group Fantasy Boys, but did not appear at the group’s debut showcase on August 21st.

Later, Phunky Studio and PocketDoll Studio released an official announcement that Yoo Jun-won would not participate in any activities due to his unauthorized departure from the group. Yoo Jun-won’s parents reportedly asked for a revision of the contract and demanded an increase in their son’s profit distribution rate based on his No.1 rank.

However, Yoo Jun-won’s side refuted Phunky Studio’s statement, explaining that they only asked for changes to unreasonable contract terms and emphasizing that they were informed of the right to leave the group if they did not agree to the contract.

Amid the intense atmosphere, Phunky Studio went further with a legal battle as they filed a lawsuit against Yoo Jun-won to claim 3 billion won in damage compensation. After a schedule change, the Seoul Western District Court’s Civil Affairs Division 21 has decided to hold an interrogation on the contract lawsuit filed by Yoo Jun-won against Phunky Studio.

Phunky Studio and PocketDoll Studio then released their text messages with Yoo Jun-won’s mother, stating “The claim that we attempted to sign a forced agreement on the contract with Yoo Jun-won many times is not true at all”, adding “Like any other audition program, the profit distribution clause in the artist’s contract is normally 5:5. The same contract was offered to Fantasy Boys and all members agreed smoothly except for Yoo Jun-won. Unlike other members, Yoo Jun-won and his parents tried to ask for a profit distribution rate of 6 (Yoo Jun-won) : 4 (management agency).”

Regarding the legal battle between Fantasy Boys’s agency and Yoo Jun-won, Phunky Studio’s legal representative Lee Yoon-sang said, “There are so many questions about the lawsuit to the extent that it is doubtful whether Yoo Jun-won is willing to do Fantasy Boys’s activities. He offered such an unreasonable contract condition. This case is very similar to a celebrity’s power trip”.

Yoo Jun-won’s lawyer Lee Wan-soo emphasized, “We did not refuse to sign the contract just because of the profit distribution ratio. There were actually a few more conditions and we only requested to change to prevent disadvantageous conditions”, adding “In order to work together for five years, we need to build trust in each other but even in the process of coordinating contract terms, it seemed like the agency did not think about the artist at all. We felt very disappointed and lost trust in them”.

He continued, “Some may criticize Yoo Jun-won for not thinking about the team when making a sudden departure and causing a dispute, but the artist’s value is also important. The agency is trying to pressure the artist”. Regarding Yoo Jun-won’s future moves, the lawyer said, “He is determined to appeal to the lawsuit as part of the final legal proceedings”.

Source: Daum