Following the unsuccessful mediation, former EXO members Luhan and Wu Yifan's respective lawsuits against record label SM Entertainment will proceed to another round of arbitration next year. The two artists' individual cases will enter the next round of court-appointed mediation on the same day in January.
According to allkpop, Luhan's party will meet for the second time with SM's party on January 16, exactly a month after the first round on December 16. Meanwhile, Wu Yifan (aka Kris) will be entering the second round of mediation with the record label on the same day. Their mediation rounds are reportedly scheduled only 40 minutes apart.
Koreaboo reports that the schedule was announced by the Seoul Central District Court on December 17, a day after Luhan's first mediation meeting.
In the lawsuit, Luhan claimed that SM Entertainment treated EXO-K, the idol group's Korean language subunit than the Chinese counterpart EXO-M, in which Luhan is a member.
"SM treated EXO-K, filled with Korean members, differently from how they treated the EXO-M members with Chinese members," said Luhan in the lawsuit, according to KpopStars. "From the beginning of our debut, EXO-K received support from SM and actively did promotions, but EXO-M had no promotions, received no financial backing, and endured a difficult time."
If the artists' parties are not able to reach an amicable agreement with the record label, the cases will then be taken to court.
Soompi noted that both former EXO members have been represented by the same law agency. If a compromise is not reached during mediation, both lawsuits will be taken to court.
Meanwhile, both Luhan and Yifan are busy with their individual activities in China. Luhan is one of the cast members of upcoming Chinese adaptation of Korean film "Miss Granny." Kris, on the other hand, is also starring in his own movie "Somewhere Only We Know," which will be released next year.
EXO is currently promoting as a ten-member group.
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