Three prominent members of the globally successful K-pop boy band EXO are currently embroiled in a contentious legal battle with their management company SM Entertainment regarding their participation in the group's highly anticipated full-member comeback. Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen, who collectively form the subunit known as ChenBaekXi, have publicly expressed their strong desire to rejoin their bandmates for upcoming group activities, but SM Entertainment has firmly refused their participation until specific contractual obligations are met.

The trio's management agency INB100 released an official statement on Wednesday emphasizing the members' commitment to their fans and their determination to participate in EXO's reunion activities. "The ChenBaekXi members promised their fans full-group activities as part of EXO and are striving in every way to achieve this goal," the statement declared, clearly reaffirming the three artists' intention to return to the group that launched them to international stardom. The agency further expressed optimism about resolving the ongoing conflict, stating, "We plan to reach an agreement for full-group activities as early as possible."

However, SM Entertainment has taken a markedly different stance on the matter, issuing a sharp response that highlights the financial and contractual disputes at the heart of this controversy. The entertainment giant made it clear that the resolution of legal disputes and group participation are entirely separate issues that must be handled independently. "We have made it clear to the three members that the agreement on the termination of the dispute and group activities are separate issues," SM Entertainment stated in their official response. The company specifically demanded that the trio pay 10 percent of their individual activity revenues to SM Entertainment, a requirement that has not yet been fulfilled despite ongoing negotiations.

The timing of this dispute is particularly significant as SM Entertainment recently announced EXO's plans to resume group activities by the end of this year, following the completion of all members' mandatory military service obligations. The company revealed ambitious plans for the legendary group, including a special fan meet-and-greet event scheduled for December and the release of their eighth full-length studio album during the first half of next year. However, these announcements came with a notable exclusion – the activities would proceed with only six members, deliberately leaving out the three artists currently engaged in legal proceedings.

SM Entertainment's position reflects the deep-seated trust issues that have developed between the parties over the course of this prolonged dispute. "Due to the excessive number of disputes, the trust between both sides has been greatly broken, and the damage caused to the team EXO, as well as the hurt given to the fans and members, has been significant," the company explained in their statement. They emphasized that any participation in team activities must be preceded by the fulfillment of existing agreements and genuine efforts from the three members to rebuild the damaged professional relationship.

The roots of this complex legal battle trace back to 2023, when Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen made the dramatic decision to inform SM Entertainment that they would not be renewing their exclusive management contracts upon expiration. The trio cited the agency's alleged failure to properly provide transparent settlement data as a primary reason for their departure, subsequently filing a formal complaint with South Korea's Fair Trade Commission to address these concerns about financial transparency and fair business practices.

Following intense negotiations, both parties initially reached a compromise agreement that would allow the three members to maintain their contracts specifically for EXO group projects while gaining the freedom to manage their individual solo activities through their new agency, INB100. However, this arrangement quickly became complicated when SM Entertainment filed a lawsuit seeking their demanded 10 percent revenue share from the members' individual activities. In response, the artists launched a countersuit demanding payment of allegedly unpaid settlements that they claim are owed to them by their former exclusive management company.

The legal complications have extended far beyond simple contract disputes, encompassing serious allegations of misconduct and regulatory violations. The three artists filed a criminal complaint against SM Entertainment executives, alleging fraud in their business dealings, and simultaneously reported the agency to South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for their alleged failure to provide required settlement data to artists. While SM Entertainment has successfully defended itself in several of these legal proceedings, the fundamental issues regarding contract fulfillment and settlement payments remain unresolved.

Recent attempts at mediation have proven unsuccessful, with a second round of court-supervised mediation earlier this month failing to produce any agreement between the parties. Following this breakdown in negotiations, the process has returned to full litigation, indicating that a resolution may still be months or even years away. INB100 has claimed that their clients had "conveyed their willingness to settle by accepting all of SM's proposed terms," emphasizing that the members "sincerely wished to take part in EXO's full-group activities, which is why they chose the path of agreement."

SM Entertainment has vehemently disputed these claims, directly contradicting INB100's characterization of the negotiations and expressing frustration with what they perceive as misrepresentations of the facts. "Contrary to the three members' statement that they clearly conveyed their intent to agree, they were the ones who first filed an objection on October 16," SM Entertainment responded, expressing "deep regret over this distortion of facts." This exchange highlights the deteriorated relationship between the parties and suggests that reaching any amicable resolution will be extremely challenging given the current level of mutual distrust and conflicting narratives about the negotiation process.