Category: SM

I thought that anything standing in the way of the continued rise of TVXQ would be crushed. While that may have been my melodramatic way to express my belief that TVXQ is special beyond just a regular group, it looks like “the universe” is beginning to work it’s magic. SM is in deep $hit.

News just broke that the company standing in the way of TVXQ being allowed to freely express themselves as a group of 5 (especially in their home country of South Korea) is being investigated for unfair contract terms. I won’t get too overly excited until there is more than just allkpop attached to the source of this news, though.

The Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) made the announcement of the investigation into SM, according to translated reports.

When SM’s founder Lee Soo Man suddenly announced his resignation from official duties, AND news that AVEX (Japan) divested completely from SM, we all should have known something big was coming. Word probably came down about the investigations and upcoming scandals within SM.

What’s worse for SM is that the unfair practices against TVXQ may be the tip of the iceberg. Other groups like SNSD and Super Junior as well as 53 other celebrities that fall under SM Entertainment will have their contract terms investigated, according to the translated reports.

On the 24th of February SM announced that in order to focus more on investments from overseas, new overseas business developments and artiste production, Lee Soo Man will resign as Director of Registrations.

A company representative said, “Lee Soo Man will no longer be engaged in business activity,”

He added, ” However, in order to strengthen his position as major shareholder, an additional 1.5% from Avex was retrieved.”

The storm clouds continue to gather over the management company SM Entertainment (SM) if recent news is accurate.  According to translated reports from Sina Entertainment News which are circulating on the internet, 5 more members of the popular group Super Junior have filed a lawsuit against SM for the termination of the Exclusivity part of their contracts.

Those members include: the leader, Lee Teuk as well as Yesung, Kangin, Eun Hyuk and Donghae. Along with Hangeng, that makes 6 of the 13 members who have chosen to fight for fair treatment.

The members’ move comes months after 3 members of TVXQ (Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu) filed suit against SM to terminate the Exclusivity clause in their contract. A court ruling concluded that SM had engaged in unfair practices and sided with the 3 members.

With members of the popular group Super Junior also raising questions about SM’s management, somebody (or persons) at SM may soon be out of a job.  Certainly the decisions SM have made in the way they bungled TVXQ’s situation is worthy of a major reassessment of who should be in charge of making such decisions.

The situation should have never gotten this far to begin with and none of these young people deserved to be treated like inanimate “products” either.  Common sense dictates that you should always take care of your artists because they are the reason why money comes pouring into any agency to begin with.

Wow. Looks like another SM “product” is man enough to fight for a little bit of freedom. Word on the net is that Super Junior’s Hankyung (Hangeng) has filed for termination of the Exclusive Contract he has with SM. If that sounds familiar, it is. 3 members of TVXQ (Junsu, Yoochun and Jaejoong) filed for […]

The representative for TVXQ’s Junsu, Jaejoong and Yoochun revealed that the 3 members’ signatures were forged on the ShenZhen contract, according to translated reports.

Those reports also say the 3 members never signed the contract themselves to participate in the ShenZhen concert, which was set up by SM after the three members had already filed a lawsuit against the company.

This could be the very reason why SM refused to show them the Shenzhen contract like their attorney had requested earlier this month.

Supposedly, Korean and Chinese fans raised questions about the legitimacy of the signatures on the document which is supposed to show an artist’s intention of performing at the concert.

Fans got to see this document because it was shown at the location where tickets were sold in order to prove the three would attend. But the fans have sharp eyes and a deep distrust for SM. 

The attorney representing Junsu, Yoochun and Jaejoong in their battle for some form of freedom wants SM to respect the Court’s decision and pay the members money they earned for the first half of the year.

“Talks with SM will only be possible after these problems are solved,” the attorney said according to translated reports.

SM still has yet to pay the members any of the money they earned for the 1st half of this year, even before they filed the lawsuit.

It was SM’s decision to cancel the ShenZhen concert in China and attempt to blame the three members for it. 

However, attorney Lim Sang Hyuk (Sejong) says the 3 had already said they would participate if they could see details of the contract. Rather than having to reveal this information, SM apparently canceled the concert.