Entertainment agency One Hundred Label and its subsidiary Big Planet Made Entertainment are facing a crisis as their affiliated artists have repeatedly notified them of exclusive contract terminations and departures. Starting with SHINee Taemin, groups The Boyz, VIVIZ, and singers Lee Mujin and Be'O have expressed their intention to leave the agency, intensifying disputes between the two sides over "unsettled payments" and "breach of trust."
The first signal of departure was SHINee Taemin. On Feb. 24, Big Planet Made Entertainment officially announced that the exclusive contract between the company and Taemin had ended. It was about two years since he left SM Entertainment in April 2024 and settled at Big Planet Made.
Settlement issues were cited as the main reason for the split. Regarding allegations that Taemin did not receive the rightful amounts during his activities, the agency at the time explained that the "unsettled payments" mentioned in the article are matters currently being properly negotiated and adjusted depending on each artist's contract terms and activity status.
The situation grew when nine members of The Boyz notified termination of their exclusive contracts through the law firm YulChon. On the 19th, nine members of The Boyz, excluding New, said they had notified the termination of the exclusive contract on Feb. 10, 2026, citing the agency's serious breach of the exclusive contract and the resulting irreparable damage to the trust relationship, and argued that the exclusive contract had been lawfully terminated and its effect had ended.
The members said they had not received settlement payments for all activities since July 2025 and that their requests to inspect transparent settlement records were also denied. In contrast, One Hundred Label took a hard line, saying it could not accept the termination demand, stating that the company signed contracts and paid large exclusive contract fees per member on the premise that all 11 members of The Boyz would adhere to the contract period and perform as one team.
On the same day, reports emerged that VIVIZ, Lee Mujin, and Be'O, who are under Big Planet Made, also decided to leave the agency and notified contract terminations. They are also said to have cited serious contract breaches and breach of trust as reasons.
Big Planet Made said the company has not reached a final conclusion regarding the termination of exclusive contracts for VIVIZ, Lee Mujin and Be'O, and that it is making every effort to ensure the artists' normal activities as it sought to contain the situation.
Analysts say discord surrounding the management has also contributed to the wave of artist departures. Cha Ga-won, CEO of One Hundred Label, has been embroiled in allegations including a fraud lawsuit involving around 10 billion won and property seizure suspicions over unpaid luxury goods worth about 3.6 billion won.
One Hundred Label denied the fraud allegations, saying the company and Cha Ga-won have not formally received any complaint to date. The company also warned of strong legal action over the seizure suspicions, saying the report contains information different from the facts and could infringe on the reputation and rights of the company and a specific individual.
Attention is focused on how One Hundred Label, facing its greatest crisis since its founding, will resolve legal disputes with its affiliated artists.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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