With legal battles and group withdrawal, 2023 has been an eventful year for the K-pop industry
K-pop’s status is sweeping the world, but it has still been a shaky year for the Korean entertainment industry.
FIFTY FIFTY’s Drama
One of the hottest topics in the K-pop industry this year was FIFTY FIFTY’s lawsuit. Debuting in November last year, they hit the jackpot with their song “Cupid” released in February. The group gained more popularity in the global market than in Korea. They entered the U.S. Billboard Chart and the U.K. Official Chart, and began to break new records for K-pop groups, drawing attention as the “Miracle of Small and Medium Enterprises.”
However, in June, four members of FIFTY FIFTY, Saena, Sio, Aran, and Keena filed a lawsuit against their agency ATTRAKT in order to suspend the validity of their exclusive contract. ATTRAKT raised suspicions of CEO Ahn Sung-ill of The Givers, its outsourced service company, gaslighting the members.
The court ruled in favor of ATTAKT. In the meantime, Keena returned to the agency, and even filed a lawsuit exposing CEO Ahn Seong-il’s alleged gaslighting. ATTAKT accepted Keena’s apology and terminated the other three members’ contract. After all, only Keena remains as a member of FIFTY FIFTY, and ATTAKT plans to set up a new team centered on Keena.
EXO CBX vs. SM, Conflict Fired Ahead of Comeback
Another incident that surprised fans in June was the conflict between EXO-CBX (Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin) and SM Entertainment. At the time, EXO was preparing for its comeback as after four years, and its new album was about to be released. Through a law firm, EXO-CBX announced on June 1 that it had notified the company of the cancellation of their exclusive contract due to grounds for settlement, refusal to disclose data, and unfair long-term contract conditions. In response, SM Entertainment denied all allegations. In the process, rumors spread that singer MC Mong was involved in the lawsuit, but MC Mong directly revealed that it was not true.
Fortunately, the conflict between CBX and SM Entertainment was resolved well. After having a time to candidly discuss all the issues with the CBX members, SM announced, “We were able to resolve the differences caused by misunderstandings and reach a smooth agreement.”
SF9’s Rowoon, ASTRO’s Rocky, WJSN’s Luda, Dawon Withdrew From Their Groups
In March, Fantagio announced that Rocky decided not to renew his contract and left ASTRO. Later, Rocky released his first solo album in November and started his solo career in earnest. Members Luda and Dawon also ended their exclusive contracts with Starship Entertainment and WJSN underwent a lineup change with an eight-member formation. Meanwhile, Rowoon, a member of SF9, left the team and announced his new start as an actor. The other members completed the renewal of their contracts, and the team was maintained with eight members.
Groups that couldn’t avoid the ‘7-year curse’
Many groups have experienced the “7-year curse”. MOMOLAND’s exclusive contract expired in January this year and the members decided to go on separate paths toward their own dreams. IST Entertainment’s boy group VICTON also disbanded in April after 3 members left the group. In addition, PENTAGON also failed to avoid the ‘7-year curse’. CUBE announced that 5 members did not renew their contract but the members assured fans that they would not disband. As some groups are still doing group activities even when members are under different companies, fans also look forward to PENTAGON’s reunion in the future.
Source: OSEN
