Categories
K-POP ARTISTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Court Dismisses Request of Yu Jun Won to Nullify Contract With Phunky Studio

The Seoul Western District Court has officially dismissed the please of Yu Jun Won to void his exclusive five-year contract with Phunky Studio

According to an allkpop report on Friday, November 24, Yu Jun Won, known for his participation in the MBC audition program Boys Fantasy, not only had his request denied but was also directed by the court to bear all expenses related to the legal proceedings.

Yu Jun Won vs Phunky Studio 

In August, Phunky Studio announced Jun Won’s unauthorized departure from Fantasy Boys, saying that the group will continue as an 11-member ensemble instead of the initially planned 12-member group. Such development came as a surprise to many fans as Jun Won secured the top spot on MBCs talent audition program Boys Fantasy. 

According to the agency, Jun Won had an “unauthorized departure.” Allegedly, the idol’s parents also requested to modify the contract several times. 

In response, Jun Won argued that the exclusive contract presented by Phunky Studio was “unfair” and brought the matter to court. Despite expressing his disappointment at being unable to fulfill his dream debut, Jun Won countered Phunky and PocketDol Studios‘ claims, asserting that he had sought revisions to unfavorable clauses in the contract. Allegedly, the company rejected reasonable conditions and attempted to coerce an agreement with additional unreasonable demands.

Since he already lost his trust in the company, Jun Won decided to sever ties with the agency. On top of that, he also claimed to possess records of calls, emails, and discussions with the company, suggesting a willingness to use them as evidence.

The court ruling 

According to reports by Korean media, the Western District Court‘s ruling emphasized that most of the clauses in the contract offered by Phunky Studio adhered to the exclusive contract standards set by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. 

After comparing Jun Won‘s raised concerns with the standardized contract, the court found it challenging to determine any instances of ‘unfairness.’ Consequently, based on the evidence presented, the court could not conclude that Jun Won had been subjected to unfair treatment and demands by Phunky Studio.

As of now, there is no indication that either party plans to appeal the Western District Court’s decision.

Meanwhile, Fantasy Boys made their debut as an 11-member group in September with their first EP New Tomorrow. 

Featured image: Yu Jun Won during the group’s Welcome to Your Fantasy show. Credit: Twitter/Fantasy Boys

Categories
K-POP ARTISTS KPOP ALBUMS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Look: Fantasy Boys Drops Promo Schedule for ‘New Tomorrow’

Mark your calendars because upcoming rookie group FANTASY BOYS is gearing up for the release of their highly-anticipated debut album NEW TOMORROW. 

On Monday, August 28, the boy group unveiled its timetable for their first mini-album. According to the scheduler, they will be releasing various concept photos, track list, and music video teasers. 

They will also have a special performance on September 16 as a treat to their fans. However, details about this supposed special day have not been disclosed. 

All activities will lead up to the group’s debut showcase on September 21. Meanwhile, preorders for the album NEW TOMORROW begins on September 1. 

In addition to the timetable, FANTASY BOYS also shared a still-cut from their music video, showing the 11 members posing by the beach. 

Other details, such as the number of tracks and title song, about NEW TOMORROW have yet to be disclosed.

Initially a 12-member group, FANTASY BOYS was formed through an MBC global audition program.

However, Pocketdol Studios recently announced that leader Yu Jun Won would no longer debut with the group.

Now, FANTASY BOYS is only made up of members Hikari, Hikaru, Hong Sung Min, Kaeden, Kang Min Seo, Kim Gyu Rae, Kim Woo Seok, KSoul, Lee Han Bin, Lingqi, and Oh Hyeon Tae

Yu Jun Won’s departure from FANTASY BOYS 

On August 23, Pocketdol Studios revealed that Yu Jun Won is no longer part of FANTASY BOYS’ lineup.

According to the agency, Jun Won has been removed from the group due to his “unauthorized departure.” The label added that the idol’s parents also requested to modify the contract several times. 

However, the artist also aired his own sentiments, saying that Pocketdol Studios lied about certain matters in their statement. 

According to Jun Won, instead of editing some unfavorable clauses in the contract, Pocketdol Studios instead attempted to force an agreement after adding more ridiculous demands. 

Because of this, Jun Won reasoned out that he has lost trust with the company. And it was this that made him decide not to continue his relationship with PocketDol Studios. He said that although it’s his dream to debut as an idol, he can’t do that under the said agency.

Currently, the legal battle between the two sides continues even though the label tries to promote FANTASY BOYS’ debut. Meanwhile,  Jun Won has also called for entertainment agencies to treat their artists better and the practice of unfair contracts to be fixed. 

Despite no longer pushing through with the group, Jun Won still asked fans to continue their support for the 11 members of FANTASY BOYS. 

Featured image: FANTASY BOYS drops first teaser for debut album ‘New Tomorrow.’ Credit: Twitter/FANTASY BOYS

Categories
K-POP ARTISTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Yu Jun Won Refutes Pocketdol Studios’ Claims on His Departure From Fantasy Boys

Yu Jun Won has disputed the claims made by PocketDol Studios about the reason of his departure from the upcoming rookie group Fantasy Boys. He said the agency lied about certain matters in their statement. 

On Wednesday, August 23, PocketDol Studios announced that Fantasy Boys will debut as an 11-member group without Jun Won. 

According to the agency, Jun Won had an “unauthorized departure.” Allegedly, the idol’s parents also requested to modify the contract several times. 

Yu Ju Won’s side

However, hours after the news broke, Jun Won took to his Instagram to air his sentiment. Aside from his statement, the idol also shared a portion of his contract to refute the agency’s allegations. 

First, he apologized to the fans who are affected by the matter, emphasizing that those being reported are “far from the truth.”

Next, Jun Won opened up about how much he dreamt of becoming an idol. He added that despite all the difficulties, he still pushed through to make the dream a reality. 

“I did my best every moment, and never acted in a shameful way in front of the fans,” he said. Which is why it pains him to have his idol dreams cut short just when he was about to reach it. 

 

“But it is such a pity and it hurts me so much that I am unable to make my dream debut, despite it being right in front of my eyes,” he wrote.

Jun Won then went on to address the claims by PocketDol Studios. He explained that he requested to edit some unfavorable clauses in the contract. 

However, the company allegedly refused his calls for reasonable conditions. Instead, he said that they attempted to force an agreement after adding more ridiculous demands. 

Because of this, Jun Won reasoned out that he has lost trust with the company. It then led to him deciding not to continue his relationship with PocketDol Studios. 

Additionally, the artist said that he has records of his calls, emails, and discussions with the company. He also hinted that he’s not afraid to use them as evidence. 

PocketDol Studios’ side

Following Jun Won’s personal statement, PocketDol Studios and Funky Studios  responded to the idol’s remarks. 

The company insisted that Jun Won’s mother demanded that she be consulted on all matters about her son’s contract. 

Aside from that, the agency claimed that the mother also complained about the idol’s styling, as well as positioning in the group. 

Moreover, Pocketdol Studios also argued that the clause in their contract about the split between management and artists is “the norm” in the entertainment industry.

In the adjunction agreement posted by Jun Won, it shows a clause that states that if an album released by the artist surpass 500,000 copies in sales within a three month period, they will be relieved of their responsibility toward all fixed cost coverage until the expiration of their exclusive contract. 

The agency asserted that this isn’t a “legal violation.”

With the contradicting statements, it’s unsurprising that the fans are worried about the situation. Several are lobbying for Jun Won’s side while many are also wary of how this will affect FANTASY BOYS. 

Nevertheless, many are praising Jun Won for standing up for his rights. Especially that in the statement, he also called for companies to treat their artists better and the practice of unfair contracts to be fixed. 

Despite no longer pushing through with the group, Jun Won also asked fans to continue their support for the 11 members of Fantasy Boys. 

 

In the meantime, the 11-act piece is set to debut in September.

Featured image: Yu Jun Won during the group’s Welcome to Your Fantasy show. Credit: Twitter/Fantasy Boys

Categories
K-POP ARTISTS KPOP NEWS LATEST STORIES

Fantasy Boys to Debut as 11-Member Group Without YU Jun Won

Fantasy Boys is already being hounded by controversy even before its official launch as member Yu Jun Won is confirmed to no longer debut with the group. 

Pocketdol Studio announced on Wednesday, August 23, that only 11 members of Fantasy Boys will debut in September, with Yu Jun Won not part of the lineup.

Initially, 12 individuals were chosen from MBC’s global audition program to debut as members of Fantasy Boys. Among the 12 members, it was even Yu Jun Won who ranked first in the competition. 

 

What went wrong? 

According to the agency, while they’d want the 12 members to debut together, Yu Jun Won cannot participate in group activities due to “his unauthorized departure.” 

Pocketdol Studio mentioned that after the program ended, they discussed the contract with the members’ parents several times. The company shared that the contract was even according to the standard terms and conditions established by the Fair Trade Commission. 

However, the agency claimed that Yu Jun Won’s parents requested to modify the contract. Allegedly, the parents wanted to increase their son’s profit sharing rate, citing that he was the one who ranked first in the program. 

In response, the agency said that they couldn’t have a different profit distribution rate among the members as it may cause equity issues in the future.

Next, Pocketdol Studio claimed that Yu Jun Won’s parents made him leave the company without permission twice. They said that by this time, they already told the idol that he wouldn’t be able to join the team. 

Given this circumstance, the agency decided to continue with the 11 members instead. Only Hikari, Hikaru, Hong Sung Min, Kaeden, Kang Min Seo, Kim Gyu Rae, Kim Woo Seok, KSoul, Lee Han Bin, Lingqi, and Oh Hyeon Tae will debut. 

Additionally, the agency requested fans to continue their support to the remaining 11 members. They also promised that they will resolve the issue with Yu Jun Won amicably.

 

How are fans taking the news?

Even before Pocketdol Studio released a statement, fans have already been clamoring for an update about Yu Jun Won in the previous days.

On social media, they trended the hashtag “Where is Yu Jun Won” as they noticed that the aspiring idol was not in any of the group’s recent activities. 

Following the news, fans are worried about Yu Jun Won‘s current status with the group. Some fans are confused whether he’s no longer part of the group at all, or is it just a temporary suspension. 

https://twitter.com/fanbotwt/status/1694189428946698478

https://twitter.com/fanbotwt/status/1694190688747814978

Moreover, fans are also wary about the reasoning given by Pocketdol Studio. Several online users said that they’d rather wait for a statement from the idol’s side, as well. 

Meanwhile, there is still no official debut date for Fantasy Boys in Korea. Although, the group has been actively promoting in Japan. 

Featured image: Yu Jun Won poses in his profile photo for Fantasy Boys. Credit: Twitter/Fantasy Boys

Exit mobile version