A Seoul court has suspended the exclusive contracts between EXO members Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin — collectively known as CBX — and their agency INB100, after the company failed to pay settlement fees owed to the trio. INB100 falls under One Hundred Label, run by Chairman Cha Ga-won, who has faced similar payment disputes with other prominent singers including Lee Seung-gi and Lee Mu-jin.
The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 50, presided over by Judge Lee Sang-hoon, granted CBX's injunction request Tuesday, suspending the validity of their exclusive contracts with INB100.
The suspension will remain in effect until a first-instance ruling is issued in the main lawsuit CBX filed against INB100 — a suit seeking confirmation that the exclusive contracts hold no legal force.
Under the ruling, INB100 is barred from signing contracts with broadcasters or other third parties against CBX's wishes, demanding that the three artists fulfill entertainment obligations, or interfering with their independent activities.
The court said INB100's failure to pay settlement fees had broken the trust between the parties through the agency's own fault. It warned that a prolonged main trial could severely restrict CBX's entertainment activities, potentially infringing on their constitutional rights to freedom of occupation and freedom of activity.
CBX notified INB100 of contract termination between March and April, citing unpaid signing fees and settlement amounts, but the agency did not respond. On Aug. 18, the group filed both the injunction and the main lawsuit. INB100 has yet to submit any written response or take any action in the proceedings.
INB100 was established by Baekhyun in June 2023 and was absorbed into Cha's One Hundred Label the following May.
A YouTuber with a journalism background recently claimed that Baekhyun had suffered losses totaling 63 billion won ($46.6 million) at the hands of Cha. The YouTuber alleged that the singer had not received 35 billion won in exclusive contract fees, 16 billion won in jeonse deposits and 12 billion won in settlement payments.
Cha was indicted in custody last month on fraud charges involving approximately 30 billion won, with his first hearing scheduled for Oct. 13. He is accused of proposing a project to Nomers Co. that would leverage celebrities' intellectual property rights, collecting advance payments after signing a contract, and then failing to carry out the work.
Cha has also been notified of contract terminations by Lee Seung-gi, Lee Mu-jin and The Boyz over unpaid settlements. He faces a criminal complaint from Lee Seung-gi in particular after failing to return 10.5 billion won in jeonse deposits last month.
Cha, a former real estate developer, entered the entertainment industry in 2023 when he co-founded One Hundred Label with singer MC Mong. The partnership was later clouded by rumors of an affair and overseas gambling. After a falling-out, MC Mong departed in July last year, leaving Cha to run the company alone.
paq@heraldcorp.com
