Korean media outlet, Dispatch, recently revealed their exclusive question-and-answer session with K-pop group B.A.P's party, who recently filed a lawsuit against their agency TS Entertainment, Koreaboo reports.
According to the report, Dispatch asked over 20 questions mainly about the relationship between the idols and their managing agency.
When asked if each of them received 1.8 million won for their earnings for three years, according to the report, B.A.P's side specified that it was 1,790,000 won. The group signed their contract in March 2011 and debuted in January of the following year. However, it was revealed that they received their first payment only on July 31, 2014, which amounted to 1,790,000 won per member.
Through Dispatch's Q&A session, it was also found out that while the company covered the group's housing, food and transportation expenses, it did not cover the hospital fees of the idols. Acquaintances of the idols allegedly said, "They had no choice but to depend on their families for hospital fees" and "They had no choice but to endure it for their future."
The contract received by Dispatch claims that the album earnings were divided with the ratio 1:9, with one for B.A.P and 9 for the company. The idols also receive 10% of merchandise sales.
When asked if it was 10% of sales or 10% of profit, the group's side revealed that it was basically 10% of net profit. This part will be further divided by six for the members.
According to Koreaboo's report, the division of profit was raised to 2:8. It was also revealed that division of profit from concerts, events, and performances were based on a 5:5 ratio. The same was reportedly true with B.A.P's commercial performances and magazine sales.
B.A.P had shows in different countries; however, TS Entertainment allegedly recorded the profits from these projects as expenses. Dispatch received a statement claiming a 12 hundred million won payment for the group's performance in Japan was recorded as an expense. The same thing happened to the 100,004,000 won for magazine contract fees
The idol group's side also claimed that the overall payment of 1,790,000 the idols received was not specified whether if it was from album sales, commercial projects, broadcast performance, or a concert.
According to the report, about the questionable contract, B.A.P said "It wasn't that we didn't understand the early risks of the company. That is why we endured the unfair contract and not even getting paid for 3 years."
The group reportedly stated that stated that it was not a simple problem with the payment. They have trusted their agency but because of the unjust payment as well as its lack of concern when B.A.P had to endure health problems. According to the report, this has prompted the singers to file a contract nullification lawsuit against TS Entertainment.
Memebers Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup and Zelo, all filled the lawsuit on Wednesday to the Seoul Western District Court, according to Kpop Herald.
After the news broke, TS Entertainment released an official statement, a part of which reads, "Currently TS Entertainment is in the process of trying to figure out the details and the truth of the matter. However, we wanted to make clear that there is no such thing as a 'slave contract' or 'unfair contract conditions' in our contracts, and we have never given them unfair, one-sided treatment."
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