With One Hundred Label contesting the decision, the legal fight appears poised to extend beyond the injunction stage
The Boyz have secured a court ruling in their favor in an ongoing contract dispute with their agency One Hundred Label, with both sides issuing contrasting statements over the decision.
According to attorney Kim Mun-hui of law firm Yulchon, a Seoul court granted an injunction suspending the validity of their exclusive contracts.
“The court confirmed that the exclusive contracts between the artists and the agency have been validly terminated and are no longer in effect,” Kim said in a statement issued to the press.
Nine members — Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo and Eric — had filed for the injunction, alleging they had not received any settlement payments since July 2025.
The court cited multiple grounds in its decision, including the agency’s failure to fulfill key contractual obligations such as payment of settlements, provision of accounting data to verify earnings, as well as duties related to management support and artist protection. It also found that the breakdown of trust between the two parties had reached an irreparable level.
The ruling rejected the agency’s argument that signing bonuses paid to the members constituted advances that could offset future settlement payments.
“The court made clear that signing bonuses and profit settlements are separate provisions under the contract, and that there is no agreement allowing previously paid contract fees to replace settlement payments owed to the artists,” Kim said.
Despite the ruling, the members said they would proceed with previously scheduled activities — including their upcoming concert “Inter-zection” scheduled to run from Friday to Sunday at Kspo Dome in Seoul — to honor commitments to fans and minimize disruption to third parties.
One Hundred Label, however, pushed back against the court’s decision, calling it a “temporary measure” rather than a final judgment.
“The injunction is an interim decision and does not constitute a definitive ruling on the validity of the contract termination,” the agency said in a separate statement issued to the press on Friday. “Claims that the contracts have been conclusively terminated are a clear distortion of the legal nature of the ruling.”
The agency added that it plans to file an objection, arguing that key evidence and arguments were not sufficiently reviewed due ot the expedited nature of the proceedings.
One Hundred Label also disputed the members’ claims regarding unpaid settlements, stating that it had paid a total of 16.5 billion won ($11.1 million) in upfront contract fees to the group.
“The essence of this dispute remains unchanged,” the agency said. “The claim that settlement payments were not made is still a distortion of the facts and remains subject to legal review.”
In addition, the agency rejected the members’ assertion that they had borne personal costs in preparing for concerts, stating that the performances were arranged through contracts signed by the company and supported by its management infrastructure.
The company further denied reports of financial instability, saying it is continuing merger and acquisition discussions with investors and will take all necessary legal and managerial steps to maintain operations.
The dispute comes amid broader tensions within the agency. On April 10, Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin of Exo ended their contracts with One Hundred Label’s subsidiary Big Planet Made. Singer Taemin and girl group Viviz also parted ways with the subsidiary, citing alleged contract violations, including failure to fulfill settlement payment obligations.
The Boyz debuted in 2017 and moved to One Hundred Label in December 2024. The case is expected to proceed to a full trial, where the validity of the contract will be determined.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
