EXO members (from left) Baekhyun, Xiumin, Chen. Image: Twitter/@weareoneEXO
EXO’s Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, also known as EXO-CBX, will remain as SM Entertainment artists after they reportedly reached a “mutually amicable agreement” over their contracts.
After weeks of legal dispute, the music label announced that it has resolved its differences with the “Blooming Day” singers, as seen in a joint statement issued to Korean media outlet Daum Star News on Monday, June 19.
“The agency and the three artists will acknowledge and maintain the contract relationship while carrying out EXO’s scheduled activities more actively and continuously through the process of discussion and correction of certain parts,” their statement read, according to a Soompi translation.
According to SM, both sides decided to “strengthen [their] future relationship” after coming to an understanding about the EXO members’ contracts.
“[SM] listened attentively and understood all the thoughts of the three artists, and the agency also conveyed our position regarding this in detail. The three artists also opened up their hearts, and they understood our stance regarding artist contracts,” they said. “Furthermore, the agency will support the three artists so that each artist can carry out promotional activities in new ways while fully showcasing each artist’s individuality.”
The music label also apologized for its previous claim about EXO-CBX being poached by supposed external forces, saying it was a “misunderstanding.”
Earlier this month, SM claimed that a “third party” was trying to instigate conflict within the K-pop idols and company during their legal battle. Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin responded to the agency’s claims soon after, as they pointed out that they’re adults who can “think for [themselves].”
“We would like to tell you that there was a misunderstanding about the intervention of a third party. The agency initially received a tip-off that a third party was approaching the three artists with unjust intention, and we stated that this was the main cause of the dispute,” SM said.
“However, through this discussion, we learned that there was a misunderstanding about the involvement of a third party. We would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those involved for causing concern with our announcement,” it continued.
In the statement, SM and EXO-CBX apologized to the fans, as well as Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin’s bandmates for the skirmishes between both camps.
“The agency and three artists would like to express our apologies to the fans as well as the EXO members besides the three artists and those who trusted and waited for EXO, and we will do our best to repay the support of many people who stood by us,” it said.
Earlier this month, EXO-CBX announced that it would cut off ties with the South Korean music label, citing illegal slave contracts, lack of pay, mistreatment, and failure to provide settlement data or payslips.
Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin made their debut as members of EXO in April 2012, and debuted as a sub-unit EXO-CBX in October 2016. The K-pop idols also made waves as soloists, as they released music of their own.
The nine-member group is set to release their seventh album “Exist” on July 10. A pre-release single “Let Me In” was dropped last June 12. EDV