With a contractual dispute between SM Leisure and three members of EXO (pictured) having devolved right into a disagreement, an SM worker is firing again towards claims made by Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen. Photograph Credit score: To. ChanyeolThe much-publicized showdown between SM Leisure and EXO is continuous to warmth up, as an SM worker is refuting the concept the boy band’s members had been duped into signing predatory and difficult-to-understand contracts.
This latest twist within the high-stakes dispute only recently got here to gentle in experiences from regional retailers. Nearer to June’s starting, EXO members Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen (who’re 31, 33, and 30 years outdated, respectively) moved to terminate their unique SM Leisure agreements.
Amongst different issues, the peeved Okay-pop professionals are accusing SM of compelling them to signal roughly 12-year “slave contracts” in addition to associated “extensions” in violation of South Korean leisure regulation.
“SM is attempting to say a contract interval of not less than 17 to 18 years by having the artists signal the next unique contracts once more,” an lawyer for the EXO members at hand indicated in a extensively circulated assertion. “That is SM repeatedly perpetrating extraordinarily unjust use of energy towards their artists.”
Kakao-partnered SM – which has discovered itself on the middle of a number of public confrontations in 2023 – promptly fired again towards the allegations, expressing the idea that Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen had been being wooed by competing Okay-pop corporations. The EXO members then maintained they’d opted to push for added monetary data and the contract termination on their very own, with out the affect of “exterior forces.”
Now, as initially talked about, a brand new exposé penned by an SM worker is looking into query the allegations towards the corporate – together with the claims involving the size and particulars of the EXO members’ contracts.
The corresponding submit was revealed initially on Blind, a South Korean platform (now boasting a seemingly widespread worldwide model as nicely) that allows verified workers to weigh in on their corporations anonymously.
And based on Google’s translation of the prolonged Korean-language remarks, the EXO members “renewed voluntarily” their respective SM offers – and pushed for “favorable splits” – after first signing with the company as younger adults. Per the writer, the purpose undermines the argument that Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen had been coerced into inking less-than-ideal pacts.
“How lengthy has it been because you turned a high star?” the SM staff member requested the seemingly outgoing EXO professionals, whose group is claimed to have had the bestselling album in South Korea throughout 2013, 2014, and 2015 alike. “Should you’re speaking in regards to the contents of your first unique contract, I’d perceive the excuse of being a rookie, however had been you a rookie whenever you renewed your contract?”
Elsewhere within the voluminous retort, the SM staffer recognized cash as the only real motivation for the agreement-termination request and claimed that the related EXO members had lengthy didn’t respect the corporate’s workers. In the meantime, in a testomony to the dispute’s many angles, EXO’s “worldwide fanbases” at present took purpose at SM in an open letter with a header studying “Justice for CBX.”
Made obtainable in English, Mandarin, Indonesian, Thai, Arabic, and different languages but, said letter reads extra like a authorized demand than an informal message from followers.
“We urge SM to stop foul play through deceptive statements within the media, which has resulted in unfair and divisive assaults on the members,” the “worldwide fanbases” wrote, having additionally taken their protest to SM’s headquarters. “Lastly, we urge SM Leisure and its workers to train the company social and moral accountability essential as an leisure firm on the worldwide stage.”