SEOUL – Nine members of THE BOYZ have reportedly moved to terminate their exclusive contracts with ONE HUNDRED, escalating a dispute that centers on alleged settlement non-payment, access to contract and payment documentation, and the practical resourcing of an upcoming arena concert in Seoul.
A March 19, 2026 report said Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric-every member of the group except New-sent a “certificate of contents” to ONE HUNDRED Chief Executive Officer Cha Ga Won in February 2026, notifying the company of termination of their exclusive contracts. The notice cited an alleged breach of trust “beyond repair” tied to alleged contract violations, according to the report. Negotiations were said to have continued for roughly one month before breaking down.
The development matters beyond a single artist-management dispute because K-pop’s touring and recorded-music economics depend on predictable settlement cycles and reliable operational support-inputs that become especially exposed when a major concert is already on the calendar and the artist side claims it is self-funding core production needs.
Notice of termination and disputed access to documentation
According to the March 19 report, the nine members’ February 2026 notice to Cha Ga Won also included a request to access contract and payment details. The report said the requested materials were not provided for more than a month and that no explanation was provided during that period.
In the course of negotiations, the report said, Cha Ga Won counterclaimed that the members were negligent and demanded penalty fees for breach of contract if they wanted to terminate their agreements.
Under South Korea’s standard idol-management system, exclusive contracts govern everything from appearance schedules to the allocation of settlement revenues. Disputes over access to underlying payment records have become more visible as artists increasingly invoke rights grounded in the country’s Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act and related entertainment-industry guidelines, which emphasize transparency in so‑called “slave contract” arrangements.
In South Korea’s entertainment business, a “certificate of contents” is commonly used as a formal, content-certified notice in disputes where parties want to document what was sent and when. While it is not itself a court ruling, it is often used to establish a paper trail ahead of potential litigation, injunction requests, collective mediation, or negotiated exits.
One member reportedly remains with the agency
The same report said member New decided to remain with ONE HUNDRED for undisclosed personal reasons, separating his contractual position from the nine members who reportedly delivered termination notices.
That split has potential operational implications in a group business where rights, branding, touring logistics, and revenue splits are typically organized around a single management entity and a unified set of exclusive agreements-though the report did not describe any restructuring terms, revised member activities, or a revised promotion plan.
For downstream partners-from broadcasters to brand sponsors-a single group operating under mixed contract status can also complicate usage rights for music videos, group likenesses, and live recordings if future disputes move into court or arbitration.
Allegations of unpaid settlements and self-funded operations
The March 19 report cited earlier reporting alleging the company had not paid “billions of won” (described as “millions of dollars”) since the third quarter of 2025. It also alleged the company used 150 million won (approximately $100,000) in dorm deposit money.
The report further said that, despite THE BOYZ being scheduled to hold a concert at Seoul’s KSPO Dome from April 24 to 26, 2026, the agency did not provide a practice room. According to the report, the members rented practice rooms using their own money and also covered costs for “numerous staff members.”
From an industry operations perspective, practice space, transportation, and staff resourcing are not discretionary details for a major concert cycle; they are baseline line items that typically sit within an agency’s tour-prep and promotion budget. When those items shift to artists personally-even temporarily-it can create immediate accounting disputes over whether the spending is recoverable, whether it was authorized, and whether it should be deducted from settlement calculations or treated as company obligations.
Artist-side funding of core production inputs can also unsettle relationships with creditors, insurers, and tour sponsors, who often assume that agencies-not performers-are bearing operational risk for large-scale shows.
Reported wider financial strain across related labels
Beyond THE BOYZ, the March 19 report said Cha Ga Won’s other music labels-Big Planet Made and INB100-were in states of capital impairment and associated with “tens of billions of won” (described as “tens of millions of dollars”) of unpaid settlement.
The report also described a pullback in basic operational support, including transportation support, with artists said to be attending scheduled activities in their personal vehicles.
While the report did not provide audited financial statements or court filings, the alleged pattern-if substantiated-would speak to the core risk that sits under modern idol-group monetization: agencies front costs and manage cash flow across recordings, endorsements, and touring, then settle with artists after platform and promoter receipts clear. When settlements are disputed, the stress tends to surface first in the most operationally visible categories-transport, staffing, rehearsal space, and production deposits.
Regulators and industry bodies have periodically signaled interest in the resilience of this model, particularly where multiple labels under common ownership show signs of simultaneous financial strain, raising questions about intra-group guarantees and the protection of artist earnings.
How disputes of this kind can affect touring and counterparties
THE BOYZ’s KSPO Dome dates-April 24-26, 2026-place the dispute inside a time-sensitive window where multiple counterparties typically require clear authority to proceed: venue operations, ticketing, security, staging vendors, choreography and production teams, and insurers.
In a standard arena-show workflow, responsibilities are divided across management (artist scheduling and staffing), promoters (show financing and marketing), vendors (sound, lighting, staging), and the venue (operations, staffing, safety compliance). Contractual uncertainty-especially if exclusive contract status is contested-can complicate who is authorized to approve spend, sign production riders, or make binding changes to show execution.
Practically, that uncertainty can slow purchase orders for large technical builds, delay finalization of safety and emergency plans, and leave international ticket‑buyers unclear about whether shows will proceed as announced. It can also influence how banks, equipment providers, and insurers price risk for future K-pop tours, particularly those built around tightly scheduled arena runs.
The March 19 report did not state that the April concerts were canceled or postponed, nor did it detail any changes to ticketing or production plans. It did, however, describe a rehearsal and staffing environment in which the artists were said to be personally funding parts of the preparation process.
What is known from the March 19 report
Based on the March 19, 2026 report as described:
- Nine members-Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric-reportedly notified ONE HUNDRED in February 2026 that they were terminating their exclusive contracts.
- The notice reportedly cited an alleged breach of trust “beyond repair” due to alleged contract violations.
- Negotiations were said to have continued for about one month and then broken down.
- The artists reportedly requested access to contract and payment details; the report said the materials were not provided for over a month and without explanation.
- The report said CEO Cha Ga Won counterclaimed member negligence and demanded penalty fees if the artists wanted to terminate.
- Member New reportedly decided to remain with ONE HUNDRED for undisclosed personal reasons.
- The report referenced allegations of unpaid settlements since the third quarter of 2025, including claims involving a 150 million won (approximately $100,000) dorm deposit.
- THE BOYZ are scheduled to perform at KSPO Dome in Seoul from April 24 to 26, 2026; the report said the agency did not provide a practice room and that members rented rooms and covered staff costs.
- The report said other labels associated with Cha Ga Won-Big Planet Made and INB100-were in capital impairment with “tens of billions of won” in unpaid settlement, and that transportation support had halted.
THE BOYZ remain scheduled to hold their Seoul concerts at KSPO Dome on April 24, 25, and 26, 2026, as referenced in the March 19 report.
