The K-pop industry has been abuzz with speculation regarding the wildly popular boy group NCT and the exclusive contracts its members signed with their longtime agency SM Entertainment. Rumors say those contracts will expire this year, coinciding with the group’s seventh anniversary. However, SM Entertainment recently addressed these rumors, clarifying the situation.
NCT, a 20-member group known for its unique structure of different unit groups, debuted in 2016, around the same time as BLACKPINK, another prominent K-pop act. Since the YG Entertainment girl group signed contracts that expire in August, fans have wondered if NCT’s contracts would follow a similar timeline. This speculation was further fueled by the fact that some of the group’s units also turned seven this year.
SM Entertainment has stated that the contracts of NCT’s members will not expire anytime soon. Unlike the usual seven-year period typical of idol contracts, SM Entertainment took factors such as military enlistment and overseas activities into account when they signed the members. So although no two members’ contracts are the same, none will expire in 2023. All the NCT members’ contracts are valid until the end of 2024 at least.
Rather than calm the fans, SM Entertainment’s statements made them even more concerned. Many expressed surprise over the length of the members’ contracts. After a landmark ruling ended “slave contracts,” seven-year deals became the norm for idols. That’s why they didn’t feel better when SM Entertainment implied that NCT’s contracts are longer than that. They even wondered if somebody had manipulated the members into signing shady deals. But it’s important to note that South Korean courts already ruled that 10-year contracts are legal.
NCT is far from over
NCT is a unique group in the K-pop industry, consisting of different unit groups like NCT 127, NCT DREAM, and WayV, which promote independently. When members from different units collaborate, they do so as NCT U or NCT. The first lineup debuted as NCT U in April 2016. NCT 127 followed suit in July of that same year. Later, additional units were formed, and more members were added. The group was initially intended to be ever-expanding, with new members coming on board every so often. However, SM Entertainment announced that NCT Tokyo, formed in 2023, will be the group’s last unit.
As we look ahead, it’s clear that NCT’s journey is far from over. With their contracts secured for the foreseeable future, fans can look forward to more from this dynamic group.
— K-pop News Writer
Featured Image: This is a screenshot from the official MV of “Beautiful,” NCT’s last single as a full group. Source: YouTube/SM Entertainment’s official YouTube channel.
