Cha Ga Won’s Agency Pushes Back Against The Boyz’s Claims in Escalating Contract Dispute

Amid reports that The Boyz have filed for an injunction to suspend the validity of their exclusive contracts against their agency One Hundred Label and have also filed embezzlement charges against CEO Cha Ga Won, the agency has responded by refuting claims that the members have not received their settlements.

Hyun Dong Yeop, legal representative for One Hundred Label CEO Cha Ga Won, issued an official press statement on April 22, stating that “the artists’ claims seriously distort the essence of the matter,” while firmly denying allegations of unpaid settlements.

The following is the official statement from CEO Cha Ga Won’s side:

One Hundred Label, the agency of The Boyz, hereby states its official position regarding the recent injunction filed by certain members to suspend their exclusive contracts, as well as the embezzlement accusations filed against the company’s CEO. We emphasize that the artists’ claims significantly distort the facts and issue the following clarification.

1. Completion of unprecedented 1.5 billion KRW per member contract payments, total 16.5 billion KRW

The company has already paid a total of 16.5 billion KRW (11.15 million USD) in exclusive contract fees to all 11 members of The Boyz, amounting to 1.5 billion KRW (1.01 million USD) per member.

• This is a sum that ordinary individuals would hardly encounter in their lifetime and represents a significant financial burden for the company.
• The decision was made to ensure the artists could focus solely on their activities in a stable environment without being swayed by financial temptations.
• In particular, the total amount paid to the nine members involved in the current lawsuit reaches 135 billion KRW.

2. “A level that breaks industry standards”… treatment over 10 times higher than typical artists

The contract payments far exceed industry standards, considering the artists’ careers and recognition.

• If the goal had simply been to secure contracts, 100 million KRW (67,612 USD) to 300 million KRW (202,825 USD) would have been appropriate, but the company set amounts more than 10 times higher.
• Industry insiders even described it as an “insane price that guarantees losses beyond 700 million KRW (473,258 USD).”
• Despite false claims by the artists that they had received a 2 billion KRW (1.35 million USD) offer from another agency, the company accepted their statements in good faith and offered the highest possible contract terms to protect their careers.

3. Contradictions in unpaid settlement claims: members are actually in a position to repay funds

The alleged unpaid settlement amounts claimed by the members are a fraction compared to the 13.5 billion KRW (9.12 million USD) already advanced by the company.

• The contract fees paid are advance payments that are deducted from future earnings.
• If the contracts are terminated as the artists claim, the remaining portion of the advance payment must be returned to the company.
• Even after accounting for the disputed settlement amounts, the members have effectively already received approximately 11.8 billion KRW (7.98 million USD) in advance benefits.
• Ignoring this context and focusing only on partial settlement claims is a clear distortion of public perception.
• Therefore, claims such as “we have not received anything” or “settlements were not made,” including social media posts and legal statements, are a clear misrepresentation of the facts.

4. Reason for withholding settlement payments: protective measures against malicious media strategy

The reason the company has not immediately released settlement payments despite having secured funds was due to concerns that, because of what it views as malicious media tactics by the artists’ legal representatives, it may be unable to recover the already paid large advance contract fees.

• The company has consistently fulfilled its obligations in good faith to maintain trust with the artists, but claims that legal representatives have distorted facts and even filed false embezzlement accusations against the CEO, which have severely disrupted legitimate financial operations.
• On March 16, 2026, the artists’ legal representatives stated that if no repayment claims were made regarding the advance contract fees, they would agree to a mutually amicable termination and allow The Boyz to continue activities normally, expressing willingness to waive previously unpaid settlement amounts under that premise.
• If the artists acknowledge receipt of the advance contract fees while maintaining the contracts, the company states it is prepared to immediately pay the secured settlement amounts.

The company expressed deep regret over what it described as the members’ behavior of attacking the agency while claiming they had received no settlements, despite having received tens of billions of KRW in advance payments and additional settlement payments for the first and second quarters of 2025.

The company added that it will reveal all truths clearly in court under the principle of protecting both its reputation and the artists, and vowed to fight until the end.