EXO-CBX Calls Urgent Press Conference Over Conflict With SM Entertainment

What is the story

EXO-CBX, the sub-unit of popular K-pop group EXO, including members Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin, has reportedly announced a press conference to resolve their ongoing dispute with former agency SM Entertainment.

The conference is organized by their agency INB100 and is scheduled for Monday at 4:00 p.m. KST to “expose” what they perceive as “unfair treatment” from SMEs.

Participants include Cha Ga-won, chairwoman of p_Arc Group, Kim Dong-joon, CEO of INB100, and lawyer Lee Jae-hak.

Background to the dispute between EXO-CBX and SM Entertainment

The disagreement between EXO-CBX and SM Entertainment began in June last year, culminating in a joint statement announcing the resolution of a legal dispute.

The dispute involved the termination of exclusive contracts and a complaint filed with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).

The complaint raised concerns about issues such as a lack of data on the colonies and questioned “slave contracts.”

He called for corrective measures to address unfair practices by SMEs and requested a thorough investigation into all contracts.

SM Entertainment’s Alleged Violation of Agreement

As part of last year’s resolution, INB100 was created to manage both individual artists’ activities and those under EXO-CBX.

However, INB100 alleges that SME has since violated these negotiated terms.

An INB100 representative said: “SM demands 10% of the artists’ individual activity income from INB100, ignoring the content of the negotiations that form the basis of the agreement,” adding: “INB100 has provided evidence of injustice, but SM Entertainment did not respond for more than two months.”

SM Entertainment defended the legitimacy of the contract

SME responded to the complaint by stating: “The duration of the disputed exclusivity contracts with the KFTC was already recognized as legitimate by the Supreme Court in 2018”, and refuted the allegations of “slave contracts” as false representation of facts.

They pointed out that EXO members, including the three from CBX, had mutually agreed to sign new exclusive contracts.

However, they claimed that CBX subsequently sought to undermine the effectiveness of these contracts by abruptly reversing their position.

Find out more about the INB100 and the dynamics of SMEs

In January, EXO’s Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen embarked on a new chapter under Baekhyun’s independent label INB100.

Reports soon followed that INB100 would collaborate with SME, with INB100 managing members’ individual activities, while SME would supervise their group activities.

Earlier this year, an INB100 source revealed that the CBX members, who are now in their 13th year as idols, were thinking about their future.

Today, the sudden announcement of a press conference sent shockwaves among fans.