Former EXO members Kris aka Wu Yifan and Luhan have once again failed to settle their contract nullification case with the popular South Korean record label SM Entertainment.
The Chinese entertainers, who left the South Korean-Chinese K-Pop boy band in May and October 2014, had their first court proceeding recently.
While Luhan had his first court hearing with the entertainment agency at the Seoul Central District Court on 19 August, Kris had it on 2 September. During the standard civil proceedings, the legal representatives from both the sides blamed each other.
Luhan's defence attorney cited professional negligence, unfair treatment and embezzlement as the reason for terminating his contract with SM Entertainment.
In the similar vein, Wu Yifan's lawyer said, "The contract proposed by the defendant was going to last for ten years since the day of his debut. The very indefinite term of the debut itself made it so that [Kris] had no choice in this situation but to depend upon the defendant's decision making. This long lasting contract itself is an act of anti-social legislation that limits freedom."
Counter-arguing the allegations put forward by the former EXO members, the legal representative of South Korean entertainment agency stated that the firm has the rights to set the payment ratio and duration of contract.
"In the entertainment management business, even if you debut in the market, the probability of success is low, so the contract becomes extended. The contract that is becoming a problem is one that was made based on the standard exclusive contract created by the Fair Trade Commission. Claiming invalidity solely based on the fact that the contract period is long is to overlook the premise," AllKpop quoted the lawyer as saying.
After hearing both the sides, the Seoul Central District Court reportedly ordered the Chinese entertainers and the record label to have their second round of mediation on 11 September and 18 September, respectively.
Meanwhile, the court also announced the arbitration date for Kris, Luhan and SM Entertainment, and it will be held on 21 September. So, it remains to be seen whether the former Kpop stars will settle their legal dispute with the South Korean firm or prolong it further.
