The K-pop group "EXO" members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, who formed the sub-unit "CBX," have reignited contract disputes with their former agency "SM Entertainment." On the 23rd, both sides held their first court-mediated settlement session in Seoul, but failed to reach an agreement. The case will now proceed to a second round of mediation.
Currently, the youngest EXO member, Sehun, has just completed his military service and is preparing for a return, with fans eagerly awaiting the full group's comeback. However, as the dispute moves to court again, whether EXO can return to the stage as a complete group now remains uncertain.
Looking back at the entire controversy, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin established the sub-unit CBX in 2016. In 2023, the three terminated their contracts with "SM Entertainment," but subsequent revelations pointed to payment disputes. According to Korean media reports, the courts have combined SM Entertainment's "contract fulfillment lawsuit" against CBX and CBX's counter lawsuit for "settlement payment claims" into a single case for mediation. The disputed amount is about 600 million Korean won (approximately 1.8 million Malaysian ringgit), showing that the dispute involves not only contract validity but also profit sharing. In a counterattack, CBX filed a settlement payment lawsuit against SM Entertainment, requesting that earnings from the past 12 to 13 years be accurately calculated and their due share be reclaimed. Both sides remain at an impasse, causing fans to worry that the lawsuits may further delay EXO's plans to regroup.
Currently, the youngest EXO member, Sehun, has just completed his military service and is preparing for a return, with fans eagerly awaiting the full group's comeback. However, as the dispute moves to court again, whether EXO can return to the stage as a complete group now remains uncertain.
Looking back at the entire controversy, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin established the sub-unit CBX in 2016. In 2023, the three terminated their contracts with "SM Entertainment," but subsequent revelations pointed to payment disputes. According to Korean media reports, the courts have combined SM Entertainment's "contract fulfillment lawsuit" against CBX and CBX's counter lawsuit for "settlement payment claims" into a single case for mediation. The disputed amount is about 600 million Korean won (approximately 1.8 million Malaysian ringgit), showing that the dispute involves not only contract validity but also profit sharing. In a counterattack, CBX filed a settlement payment lawsuit against SM Entertainment, requesting that earnings from the past 12 to 13 years be accurately calculated and their due share be reclaimed. Both sides remain at an impasse, causing fans to worry that the lawsuits may further delay EXO's plans to regroup.