The Boyz Contract Termination: Unpaid Settlements Dispute with One Hundred

K-pop group The Boyz are embroiled in a contract dispute with their agency, One Hundred. The members, through their legal representative, announced their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts, citing alleged unpaid settlement payments and a breach of trust.

According to the law firm Yulchon, representing the group, all members except New have notified One Hundred of their decision to terminate their contracts, alleging “material breaches of the exclusive agreement and an irreparable breakdown of trust.” The formal notification was delivered last month.

“The artists notified One Hundred Label of the termination of their exclusive contracts on Feb. 10, 2026, citing serious violations of the agreement and the resulting irreparable damage to mutual trust,” stated Kim Mun-hui, The Boyz’s lawyer at Yulchon. “Accordingly, the contracts have been lawfully terminated and are no longer in effect.”

The core of the dispute centers around alleged unpaid earnings. The legal team claims the agency has failed to disburse settlement payments for activities undertaken since July 2025, following payments made for the second quarter of that year.

“In addition, despite multiple requests from the artists to review basic documents, including contracts, to verify the transparency of settlements, the agency refused without justifiable reason,” Kim added. “This constitutes a failure to fulfill the fundamental obligations of a management company under the exclusive contract.”

Further accusations include One Hundred’s alleged failure to adequately support essential expenses related to The Boyz’s entertainment activities and delays in payments to on-site staff, spanning several months.

Despite the ongoing legal battle, The Boyz have affirmed their commitment to fulfilling previously scheduled activities to avoid disrupting third-party collaborations and partnerships. This includes their upcoming solo concert series, scheduled from April 24 to 26 at Kspo Dome in Seoul’s Olympic Park.

In response, One Hundred has refuted The Boyz’s claims and stated that it cannot accept the request for contract termination. The agency released a statement later the same day, defending its position.

“The contracts were signed on the premise that all 11 members would fulfill the agreed contract period as a single team, and substantial signing bonuses were paid accordingly,” the agency stated.

The agency further argued that a series of controversies involving members last year, which resulted in one member leaving the group and hindered group activities, had undermined this initial premise.

“Despite these challenges, the company has worked to maintain the group’s activities by persuading affected partners and absorbing significant financial losses,” One Hundred claimed.

The Boyz debuted in December 2017 as a 12-member group. Following Hwall’s departure in 2019, the group continued as an 11-member act, eventually becoming a 10-member group after Ju Haknyeon’s departure in 2025 amidst personal controversy.

In November 2024, The Boyz transitioned from IST Entertainment, their original agency, to One Hundred, a company co-founded by rapper-producer MC Mong and PIA Group Chairman Cha Ga-won.

Adding another layer to the controversy, production company 815 Video has alleged that it has not received full payment for its work on the music video for “Overdrop,” a song by Xiumin under INB100, a subsidiary label of One Hundred.

815 Video claims to have received only 16.5 million won ($10,994) in advance out of a total contract worth 82.46 million won.

“We have repeatedly requested payment after the due date and sought official confirmation from the company, but following the departure of the person in charge, we have yet to receive a clear response or a concrete payment schedule,” 815 Video stated. “If the outstanding balance is not settled promptly, we will have no choice but to consider all necessary legal measures to protect our contractual rights.”

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