Contract issues between EXO members Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin and SM Entertainment are still rolling. Since Thursday, June 1, 2023, the EXO-CBX subunit member has decided to terminate the contract with management. Currently, each side has issued their statements and defenses regarding this issue.
Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin were represented by a lawyer named Lee Jae Hak. In a statement, Lee Jae Hak mentioned a series of mistakes that SM Entertainment made in their exclusive contracts with artists including EXO-CBX and trainees under management. In the same statement, it was revealed that there was a burden placed on Baekhyun by management.
This is related to Baekhyun's decision to renew the contract and the fate of EXO in the future. The following is an official statement from EXO-CBX's attorney regarding this matter: "We make this statement to EXO fans who are having anxious days with situations and news regarding Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin.
We want to explain a situation that has previously occurred. (Artist) we signed an exclusive contract with SM in June 2010 and May 2011, then received a contract renewal request from SM around December 2022, a year before our 12th and 13th year in management, the contract renewal will extend our partnership for another five years to a total contract duration of 17-18 years.
The members appointed a lawyer to review the contract renewal process, and at that time we determined that this contract was unfair, so we coordinated 8 times (to change the contract) to SM but they didn't accept it. All we saw back then was SM's determination not to change anything in the contract.
At the same time, everything we asked to change was not included in the contract. Even though we think it's unfair, the reason why our artist signed the contract is because SM kept reassuring us that everything would be fine. They created an atmosphere that made it difficult for us to refuse the offer.
We were told that if one of them (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin) doesn't renew the contract, the other EXO members could suffer a loss. At that time, SM said they hoped everyone would agree with the decision to renew the contract. Specifically to Baekhyun, SM said that Baekhyun had to sign the contract so that the other members could receive the down payment for the contract.
This made Baekhyun depressed when he was asked to sign the contract. Because this happened before the contract renewal became effective, they also said that this contract could be canceled at any time. Baekhyun was currently serving his mandatory military service.
In the midst of SM's contradictory attitudes and different contract expiration dates for each EXO member, in order to maintain smooth promotions for EXO and the members, Baekhyun had no choice and finally signed a new contract despite feeling pressured and a heavy heart, because there was still one year left remainder of the previous exclusive contract.
Even though we had asked for coordination 8 times regarding contract renewal, it was even embarrassing to use the word 'coordination' because in the end everything we wanted wasn't included in the contract. Despite all that, the main reason we extended the contract was out of loyalty to the other EXO members and to protect EXO.
To be honest, we signed the contract without even caring about its contents." This was explained by Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin's lawyers. SM Entertainment in its statement emphasized that until this issue arose, the exclusive contracts of the three troubled EXO members were still valid.
SM also emphasized that they will do everything they can to maintain EXO. "We want to emphasize that the contracts (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin) are still valid and are not immediately canceled through a unilateral termination decision without sufficient evidence," said the company which also oversees the NCT group.
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