With One Hundred Label contesting the decision, the legal fight appears poised to extend beyond the injunction stage
K-pop group The Boyz have secured a favorable court ruling in their ongoing contract dispute with their agency, One Hundred Label. Both parties have since issued contrasting statements regarding the court’s decision.
According to attorney Kim Mun-hui of law firm Yulchon, a Seoul court granted an injunction that effectively suspended the validity of The Boyz’s exclusive contracts with One Hundred Label.
“The court has confirmed that the exclusive contracts between the artists and the agency were validly terminated and are no longer in effect,” Kim stated in a press release.
Nine members of The Boyz — Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric — had filed for the injunction, alleging they had not received any settlement payments from the agency since July 2025.
The court’s decision was based on multiple grounds, including One Hundred Label’s failure to fulfill key contractual obligations. These included the non-payment of settlements, insufficient provision of accounting data to verify earnings, and shortcomings in management support and artist protection duties. The court also determined that the breakdown of trust between The Boyz and their agency had become irreparable.
Furthermore, the ruling explicitly rejected One Hundred Label’s argument that signing bonuses paid to the members were advances intended to offset future settlement payments.
“The court made it clear that signing bonuses and profit settlements are distinct provisions under the contract, and no agreement exists to allow previously paid contract fees to substitute for settlement payments owed to the artists,” Kim clarified.
Despite the significant legal development, The Boyz members affirmed their commitment to proceed with previously scheduled activities. This includes their upcoming concert, “Inter-zection,” slated to run from Friday to Sunday at Kspo Dome in Seoul, underscoring their dedication to fans and efforts to minimize disruption for third parties.
One Hundred Label, however, quickly challenged the court’s decision, characterizing it as a “temporary measure” rather than a conclusive final judgment.
“The injunction is an interim decision and does not constitute a definitive ruling on the validity of the contract termination,” the agency stated in a separate press release issued Friday. “Claims that the contracts have been conclusively terminated are a clear distortion of the legal nature of this ruling.”
The agency also announced its intention to file an objection, asserting that crucial evidence and arguments were not adequately reviewed due to the expedited nature of the legal proceedings.
One Hundred Label further disputed The Boyz 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 core of this dispute remains unchanged,” the agency reiterated. “The assertion that settlement payments were not made is still a distortion of the facts and continues to be subject to legal review.”
Additionally, the agency denied the members’ claim that they had personally borne costs for concert preparations, explaining that performances were arranged through company-signed contracts and supported by its management infrastructure.
The company also refuted reports of financial instability, affirming its ongoing merger and acquisition discussions with investors and its commitment to taking all necessary legal and managerial steps to maintain operations.
This dispute for The Boyz unfolds amidst broader internal tensions within One Hundred Label. On April 10, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin of EXO also terminated their contracts with Big Planet Made, a subsidiary of One Hundred Label. Singer Taemin and girl group Viviz similarly parted ways with the subsidiary, citing alleged contract violations, including the failure to fulfill settlement payment obligations.
The Boyz debuted in 2017 and joined One Hundred Label in December 2024. The current case is widely expected to proceed to a full trial, where the ultimate validity of the exclusive contracts will be definitively determined.
