Taemin of SHINee has severed ties with agency Big Planet Made Entertainment, according to the company on Tuesday.
Although the agency only said that their exclusive contract had come to an end, a local media outlet reported earlier in the day that the musician strongly demanded the revocation of the contract. He signed with the company less than two years ago, having parted ways with SM Entertainment after 16 years.
Another local news outlet said that Taemin has been partially paying the salaries of staff members out of his pocket. The agency has been rumored to owe over 1 billion won ($694,000) to the performer.
Meanwhile, Taemin is set to debut at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, in April on his own, becoming the first K-pop male solo artist to join the lineup.
glamazon@heraldcorp.com
