The conflict between the boy band THE BOYZ and their agency ONE HUNDRED has once again made headlines. Within the brief period since their collaboration began in December 2024, the two sides have accumulated numerous grievances against each other.

THE BOYZ were formed by Cre.ker Entertainment and officially debuted on December 6, 2017, with the mini-album THE FIRST and the title track "Boy". At the time of their debut, the group consisted of 12 members. However, due to health issues, Hwall (now known as Hur Hyunjun) left the group in October 2019. Today, THE BOYZ are known as a 10-member group: Sangyeon (leader), Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric. Sangyeon is currently serving in the military, so the group is temporarily promoting as nine members.

The group has established itself as one of the most successful acts of the fourth generation of K-pop. Their first full-length album, Reveal (2020), reached number one on the Gaon Album Chart. THE BOYZ are the recipients of numerous awards, including honors at the Korea Brand Awards, Soribada Best K-Music Awards, and victories at the Asia Artist Awards. In recent years, the group has continued to solidify its status as one of the industry's best performance acts. For instance, in 2025, THE BOYZ won Best Performance at the TikTok Awards, Best Artist 10, and the Grand Honor's Choice Award grand prize at the Korea Grand Music Awards (KGMA).

However, the peak of the group's popularity has been overshadowed by a series of legal scandals and internal disputes.

In 2021, Cre.ker Entertainment merged with Play M Entertainment to form IST Entertainment. After their seven-year contract expired in 2024, THE BOYZ left IST Entertainment and signed an exclusive contract with a new label, ONE HUNDRED, in December 2024. The reasons behind this decision are not entirely clear. According to former THE BOYZ member Joo Haknyeon, "After leaving IST Entertainment, THE BOYZ signed with ONE HUNDRED because they were the most persistent in trying to prove themselves and put a lot of effort into giving the artists more opportunities, but the reality turned out somewhat differently."

As early as June 2025, a scandal involving Joo Haknyeon erupted. A Japanese tabloid reported that Haknyeon had secretly met with former adult actress Asuka Kirara in Tokyo, implying that she provided him with special paid services. Both parties vehemently denied this, but ONE HUNDRED reacted swiftly, announcing on June 18, 2025, that they were terminating his contract and expelling him from the group. Management called it "an inevitable measure to protect the group."

Read more: Joo Haknyeon on His THE BOYZ Departure and $5.5 Million Lawsuit in Billboard Interview

However, Haknyeon did not give up. He filed a lawsuit against ONE HUNDRED, claiming the agency "fabricated evidence" and used the scandal as a pretext to terminate his contract to avoid paying him. In a Billboard interview in December 2025, he said that after his dismissal, he suffered from insomnia and financial problems. According to Haknyeon, the agency demanded he pay a 2 billion won penalty upon termination, which he considered illegal. As of today, his contract is effectively terminated, and he is no longer a member of the group. His lawsuit against the company has yet to progress.

In 2026, nine members of THE BOYZ (all but New) filed a lawsuit against ONE HUNDRED. The essence of the group's claims is as follows:

1) Non-payment of wages. The members claim they have not received payment since July 2025.
2) Refusal to provide financial statements and access to documents to verify settlement transparency.
3) Management breaches. The artists believe management neglected its duties to promote and protect the group's interests.

The management of ONE HUNDRED, for its part, categorically denies all allegations. The agency insists that upon signing the contract, it paid each of the 11 members 1.5 billion won (totaling approximately 16.5 billion won). According to the defendant's lawyers, this constitutes an advance payment covering any current salary arrears.

ONE HUNDRED also cites financial losses caused by the scandal surrounding Joo Haknyeon and claims it supported the group despite the losses.

The agency denies any embezzlement, stating that an independent audit revealed no violations.

On February 10, nine members officially notified ONE HUNDRED of the termination of their exclusive contracts. Simultaneously with the termination notice, the members filed a motion with the court for a provisional suspension of the contracts' effect pending a final verdict in the main proceedings.

On March 16, according to ONE HUNDRED, THE BOYZ's lawyers made a settlement offer: they proposed terminating the contract by mutual consent in exchange for dropping claims for unpaid wages amounting to 1.66 billion won (approximately $1.2 million). The agency called this proposal "unacceptable."

On April 20, the first hearing regarding the contract suspension took place.

On April 21, THE BOYZ filed a criminal complaint against ONE HUNDRED CEO Cha Ga Won, accusing him of embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The agency denies all charges, calling them false.

On April 23, the court granted THE BOYZ's motion and suspended the effect of their exclusive contracts with ONE HUNDRED. The court ruled that the agency's actions had led to an irreparable loss of trust.

But on April 24, the agency issued a counter-statement. According to them, the court's decision is merely a temporary measure:

"THE BOYZ and their lawyers have told the press that the contract has been terminated based on the court's decision. However, this is a distortion of the law. The suspension of the contract is a temporary measure pending a final decision on the merits. The decision in the main proceedings could be completely different.

We believe that the key explanatory materials and counterarguments submitted by the company were not properly considered due to the compressed timeline of the injunction proceedings. We will promptly file an objection to uncover the truth through a more thorough hearing."

ONE HUNDRED also expressed its intention to appeal and seek a full retrial of the case, insisting that the fact of paying 16.5 billion won in advances refutes the argument of unpaid wages.

From April 24 to 26, THE BOYZ are holding a series of concerts at Seoul's Olympic Park (KSPO DOME). The group claims the concert is being financed personally by them. The group's lawyers insist that "the court has confirmed the contract is invalid" and that the group is free from its obligations.

ONE HUNDRED claims the concert is organized with company funds and that the group has no right to independent activities until a decision is reached in the main lawsuit.

The main hearing on the lawsuit to declare the contract invalid is expected to take place within the next few months. If the group wins, the contract will be voided, and THE BOYZ can seek a new partner. If the agency wins, the artists face returning the advances they received, which would be financially devastating.

In addition to the conflicts with THE BOYZ and Haknyeon, ONE HUNDRED has also faced legal claims from other artists. The most notable case is that of  Yong Joon Hyung, a former member of the group BEAST (now Highlight), who collaborated as a solo artist with ONE HUNDRED's sub-label, Black Made. In 2025, he claimed the agency forced him to terminate his exclusive contract on unfavorable terms.

"When my album was released last year, I was suddenly called in and told the label was restructuring due to business expansion. They offered to terminate my contract without any conditions. When I expressed bewilderment, they changed course and offered to continue working together."

However, according to Yong Joon Hyung, Black Made later demanded that he leave the agency and return funds allegedly invested by a distributor he never agreed to work with. "They estimated the damages in the billions of won and told me to leave. When I asked them to fulfill the terms of the contract, they cut off contact," he added.

Yong Joon Hyung reported that Black Made demanded over one billion won from him as compensation for investments in another company, which he never approved. According to him, the demand for payment of over one billion won was made unilaterally.

On March 30, 2026, Yong Joon Hyung notified the agency of the unilateral termination of his contract. As a reason, he cited the systematic failure of management to fulfill its obligations over several years. According to the singer, the label pressured him, demanding he pay "around one billion won" as compensation for breaching the contract, while simultaneously ceasing to answer his calls. There was no lawsuit.

Another sub-label of ONE HUNDRED, INB100, manages the solo careers of EXO members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. And here, too, there is an endless legal battle with the artists' former agency, SM Entertainment. 

All about the conflict between SM Entertainment and EXO

The legal battle has been unsuccessful, and the agency is losing in court. Moreover, in February 2026, SM seized the artists' real estate worth 2.6 billion won. In response, INB100 filed a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), but as of April 2026, the situation remains unresolved. EXO - without the trio - is preparing for concerts, while negotiations between Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and SM have reached an impasse.

It seems that ONE HUNDRED's actions could be characterized as a systemic violation of artists' rights. In any case, the public is witnessing clear failures in the organization's management — failures so profound that the company faces accusations of embezzlement and extortion of its own artists. The policies of its sub-labels also raise serious questions.

At the same time, we see that costly legal proceedings drag on for years, ultimately leading nowhere. In the best-case scenario, both sides eventually forget about the process and part ways, as in the case of Yong Jun Hyung. The EXO members find themselves with seized property, and the situation with THE BOYZ remains far from clear.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5