The exclusive contract dispute of the group Fantasy Boys has entered a new phase. After some members won a provisional injunction seeking suspension of their exclusive contracts against the agency, production company Funky Studio and agency Pocketdoll Studio announced they will pursue strong legal measures, including an immediate appeal to the Supreme Court.
Fantasy Boys is a group formed through MBC's survival audition Boy Fantasy - After School Excitement season 2, which aired in 2023. However, in November last year six members — Kang Min-seo, Lee Han-bin, Hikaru, Hong Seong-min, Kim Gyu-rae and Kadan — filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration of nonexistence of the exclusive contract's effect and a provisional injunction to suspend the contract's effect against Pocketdoll Studio and others, bringing the conflict to the surface. They cited the company's failure to provide settlement records and nonpayment of revenue, the company's financial and operational problems, and contract nonperformance as the main reasons for the lawsuit.
The court for now sided with the members. On the 14th the six members said they won the provisional injunction case seeking suspension of the exclusive contract's effect that they had filed at the Seoul Central District Court. Pocketdoll Studio immediately filed an objection to this decision, but the court upheld the members' victory in the objection to the provisional injunction as well.
However, the Fantasy Boys agency issued an official statement on the 15th and immediately protested. The agency said, "In a global project that involved more than 10 billion won in large-scale funding, granting a provisional injunction based only on some missing supporting documents is a judgment that overlooks entertainment industry practice," and said, "to correct this wrong precedent we will not only appeal to the Supreme Court but also pursue the main lawsuit and claims for damages," taking a hard line.
The agency also said it intends to hold parties strictly accountable for the massive financial damage. The agency said, "Fantasy Boys already has numerous contracts at home and abroad," and added, "we plan to file separate claims for damages for the losses caused by this matter." It added that for Kim Gyu-rae, Hikaru and Hong Seong-min, who currently have exclusive contracts with Pocketdoll Studio, it will pursue individual lawsuits and team-level claims for damages simultaneously.
Attorney Roh Jong-eon, who serves as the agency's legal representative, also said, "Granting a provisional injunction for an idol group that received large-scale investment based only on the lack of some supporting documents is an extraordinary judgment detached from entertainment practice," and stressed, "through the main lawsuit we will clarify the substance of the matter and make every effort to remedy the damage to affiliated companies."
Finally, the agency said, "Because the scale of damage suffered by the artists, the company, affiliates and investors is substantial, we will clearly hold all parties legally responsible," and added, "we will take a hard-line response without any compromise against acts that undermine the order of exclusive contracts."
Meanwhile, unlike the six members involved in the legal dispute, Hikari, Lingchi, Kim Wooseok and Oh Hyun-tae are said to be maintaining their places on the team and carrying out scheduled activities without disruption.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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