Nine members of the K-pop group THE BOYZ have officially cut ties with their agency ONE HUNDRED, claiming the company owes them over ₩1 billion (approximately RM2.6 million) in unpaid earnings. The agency, however, is fighting back, calling the termination invalid and threatening legal action against the members and media outlets.
The dramatic split became public on March 19, when both sides released sharply conflicting statements. The nine members—Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric—announced through their legal representative that they had already terminated their exclusive contracts on February 10. Member New is the only one staying with the agency for personal reasons, a decision the other members say they fully respect.
The Members’ Side: We Were Left With No Choice
According to the official statement from attorney Kim Moon-hee of law firm Yulchon, the nine artists sent a termination notice to ONE HUNDRED back in February. The reason? A “grave breach of contract” and an “irreparable loss of trust.”
The core issue is money. The members claim they have not received any settlement payments for their work since July 2025. Despite asking repeatedly to see contracts and settlement documents to understand where their money was, the agency allegedly refused to provide any transparency.
Things reportedly got worse when media investigations revealed that ONE HUNDRED had received “hundreds of billions of Korean won” in advance payments based on THE BOYZ’s activities. The members say the agency never explained why their personal earnings were being withheld despite this massive cash inflow.
Beyond the financial dispute, the group claims the agency stopped providing basic support. According to their statement, the members were forced to pay for their own practice rooms to prepare for their upcoming April concerts. Some members even had to drive themselves to schedules after losing access to company vehicles. Staff working on-site reportedly went months without pay as well.
“The psychological pain and pressure endured by the Artists in an environment where even basic support was cut off were immeasurable,” attorney Kim Moon-hee stated. “Ultimately, they concluded that this situation could no longer be tolerated or continued, and that the trust between both parties had irreparably collapsed.”
ONE HUNDRED Fires Back: We Cannot Accept This
ONE HUNDRED responded swiftly, releasing its own statement rejecting the members’ claims and the contract termination.
The agency explained that when they signed THE BOYZ in December 2024, they paid each member a “large exclusive contract fee” under one clear condition: that all 11 members would stay together as one team for the full contract period.
That condition fell apart, the agency says, due to controversies involving members last year. One member—Joo Hak-nyeon—left the group in June 2025 after being accused of engaging in prostitution and later cleared of the charges. The agency claims this made normal group activities difficult to maintain.
“The company persuaded affected stakeholders and endured significant financial losses to maintain the group’s activities,” ONE HUNDRED stated. “The members’ demand to terminate their exclusive contracts, made without acknowledging this situation, cannot be accepted.”
The agency also strongly denied allegations that CEO Cha Ga-won misused the group’s housing deposit, calling this claim “completely baseless and malicious” and “clearly false.” They confirmed they are planning to take strong legal action against the media outlet The Fact, which first reported the story.
Regarding the support cuts, ONE HUNDRED claims they never stopped providing vehicles, managers, and practice rooms. According to the agency, the members were the ones who rejected this support first.
Also Read:
What Happens Next For THE BOYZ
Despite the legal chaos, the nine members have confirmed they will honor their commitments to fans. Their upcoming three-day concert at Seoul’s KSPO Dome, scheduled for April 24-26, will proceed as planned.
Member New’s decision to stay with ONE HUNDRED has raised questions about the group’s future. The remaining members addressed this directly in their statement, saying they respect his choice and will explore various paths forward for both the team and their supporters.
This contract dispute adds to the growing list of problems surrounding ONE HUNDRED’s CEO Cha Ga-won. Cha has previously faced lawsuits over alleged fraud involving billions of won, debt disputes with singer MC Mong, and unpaid settlement accusations involving other artists like EXO-CBX and Taemin. Taemin actually terminated his contract with the agency earlier and joined Galaxy Corporation.
For now, THE BOYZ is caught in a high-stakes legal battle with their future hanging in the balance. Fans are watching closely as both sides prepare for what could be a lengthy fight in court.
Also Read: aespa’s Winter Donates 200 Million Won to UNICEF and Hospital to Help Children and Patients in Need
For more updates on K-pop contract disputes and your favorite artists, keep reading VvipTimes for the latest developments in the entertainment world.
