Attorney Kim Moon-hee of Yulchon LLC, representing the nine members of THE BOYZ, stated in an official position on the 21st, "As of the time of the agency's announcement that 'payments have been completed,' and even up to this moment, the artists have not received any funds, including the unpaid payments for the third and fourth quarters of 2025." The statement further emphasized, "Even before the injunction was filed, payment deadlines were postponed and changed multiple times, but a normal payment has never actually been made."
In particular, THE BOYZ side added, "It is deeply regrettable that an official statement claiming 'payment completed' was released when no such payments have been made. We take the confusion caused to fans and industry associates by these claims, which are contrary to the truth, very seriously."
Prior to this, on the 21st, the legal representative for One Hundred Chairman Cha Ga-won released a press statement, saying, "We can no longer overlook the distortion of facts and malicious public opinion manipulation by the artists' legal representative." They countered the criminal complaint for embezzlement filed by the members, stating, "The investigative authorities' refusal of the request to consolidate the cases demonstrates the legal contradictions within the complaint itself. The fact that an investigation team including legal experts refused the consolidation suggests a judgment that there is a lack of legal basis, such as the failure to recognize the 'property of another' status."
In response, THE BOYZ side directly countered, "The criminal complaint filed by the artists is currently being investigated according to proper procedures, and we are faithfully submitting necessary materials as requested by the investigative agencies." They further emphasized, "The decision by the investigative office is merely based on formal requirements and is unrelated to the substance of the case. Using this as a basis to question the legal validity of the complaint is an act of misleading public opinion. If there are circumstances indicating that investigation information was obtained through inappropriate channels, there will be consequences."
THE BOYZ side added, "The agency must immediately stop misleading public opinion based on content that is not true and stop repeating groundless criticism against the artists and their legal representative." They continued, "The validity of the exclusive contract termination will be determined by the court through the injunction case, and the criminal complaint will also be judged according to the investigation process. We hope that instead of making unilateral claims, the agency will faithfully engage in legal procedures so that a swift judgment can be reached."
Meanwhile, THE BOYZ announced their group transfer from IST Entertainment to the label One Hundred on November 15, 2024. However, due to non-payment and a breakdown in trust, nine members, excluding NEW, notified the agency of the termination of their exclusive contracts as of February 10.
Photo=Baik Seung-Chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)