[ad_1]
A South Korean law firm representing three members of a K-pop boy group EXO said the singers were taking legal action against their longtime brand and management agency, SM Entertainment, over contract issues related to “slave contracts.”
In a press release, Lin Law Firm claims it represents K-pop stars wise man, List and Xiu Min – They are members of EXO and also perform together in a split trio called EXO-CBX – Salary and contract disputes since March with SM Entertainment, which debuted with EXO in 2012 and is a TVXQ!, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, NCT and Esper.
According to a 5-page document, Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin (full names are Baekhyun, Kim Jong-dae, and Kim Min-seok, respectively) claim that SM showed a lack of transparency in payments and demanded an unreasonable extension of long-term contracts beyond 12 years . billboard From the lawyer of Lin Law Firm Li Zaixue.
The company claimed that despite the trio’s exclusive long-term contracts with SM, the K-pop label did not provide complete data on the artist’s payments as they recently requested. Lin Law added that despite South Korean law requiring entertainment companies to provide updates on payment settlements twice a year, artists have always trusted SM’s payments.
The Lin Law Firm also alleges that SM used its position in the K-pop market to force artists to sign contracts with companies longer than the industry standard of seven years — what the company calls “slave contracts.”SM automatically extends artist contracts for three years if the artist works overseas, which applies to Chen and Xiumin as the two were originally part of a China-focused group, the company said. EXO-M. Meanwhile, Baekhyun released solo music in Japan and was part of an American-centric music group, Billboard 200-Top “Supergroup” Super M.
The final point of the Lin Law document includes a message of apology to fans and a promise to resolve the dispute.
SM Entertainment has yet to respond billboardrequest for comment. Baekhyun, Chen and Xiumin also did not comment publicly on the matter.
The so-called “slave contract” is a historically sensitive point for SM Entertainment. In 2009, three of the original five members of boy group TVXQ! Asked a Korean court to review their 13-year contract, citing the length of time and concerns over payment distribution. In a more than three-year legal battle, singers Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu have won the right to work independently of their SM contracts and form a new boy group called JYJ. By November 2012, both parties agreed to terminate the SM contract that expired in 2016 at the earliest.
As a result, the Korea Fair Trade Commission instituted a rule in 2010 that eliminated so-called “slave contracts,” requiring entertainment companies to initially sign contracts with individuals for up to seven years. Lin Law did not explain how SM legally overstepped the rules.
As members of EXO, Baekhyun, Chen, and Xiumin helped lead K-pop’s international expansion, and the group focused on releasing music in both Korean and Chinese. In April 2015, EXO set a new record Biggest sales week for an American K-pop artist at the time when it’s Exodus According to Luminate, the album sold 6,000 copies. This record stood until the end of 2016.
EXO gets five firsts billboardof World Albums Chartand EXO-CBX also topped the list with their debut record hey mom! Started in 2016. The three members also released solo albums, and Chen released a new song “Blooming” on May 30 through SM Entertainment.After several EXO members completed missions for the South Korean army, the group reunion for the first time in years.SM has confirmed that the group will release a new studio album together this year.
[ad_2]
Source link