An official of SM Entertainment told Korean media outlets on the June 13, “It is true that we submitted a complaint to CBX and we will respond according to the law and principles.”
Earlier, it was reported that SM had filed a lawsuit the previous day at the Seoul Eastern District Court, demanding contract enforcement against Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. SM’s complaint reportedly stated that they could no longer tolerate CBX’s unreasonable behavior, prompting them to initially request enforcement of the agreement.
Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin notified SM of the termination of their exclusive contracts in June of last year, despite having signed a renewal contract in December 2022. Controversy arose at the time, with singer MC Mong being accused of masterminding the tampering against them.
However, the dispute was eventually resolved when both parties agreed that EXO’s group activities would continue under SM, while individual activities would be managed by INB100, a new corporation established by CBX.
Last month, when INB100 joined One Hundred’s subsidiary, co-invested by MC Mong, suspicions of tampering reignited. On June 10, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin held an emergency press conference, alleging unfair treatment by SM, which escalated the situation into a crisis once again.
At the press conference, One Hundred Chairman Cha Won, INB100 CEO Kim Dong Jun, and lawyer Lee Jae Hak stated that SM had failed to honor the promised 5.5% music distribution fee and had demanded 10% of the artists’ sales from individual activities. They also completely denied the allegations of tampering.
However, SM announced its intention to pursue legal action against CBX. In response, INB100 filed civil and criminal charges for defamation and other allegations. This initiated a full-fledged legal battle, with SM filing a lawsuit demanding the actual performance of the contract.
