Controversy surrounding Junwon’s departure from Fantasy Boyz; Contract disputes and allegations of interference

It has been reported that Junwon (Yoo Junwon, 20) of the group Fantasy Boyz, who left the group citing unfair contract terms, not only demanded better profit distribution conditions than other members but also claimed that he interfered excessively with the agency’s business.

A representative from PocketDol Studio, which manages Fantasy Boyz, stated, “Despite Junwon being an adult and not a minor, his mother was the only one who co-signed the contract, and he strongly demanded that details of the contract be discussed with him directly, not through his son.”

Furthermore, the representative claimed that Junwon’s mother also interfered in matters such as airport fashion managed by stylists and the lineup of members directed by on-site staff.

It was claimed that during an airport appearance, Junwon wore pants that didn’t fit his physique, carried a bag that wasn’t from a brand, and even though he won first place in “Boys Fantasy,” he was not placed in the center of the lineup in some photos.

In fact, in an email sent by Junwon’s mother (referred to as Ms. A) to company executives on the 19th, she emphasized, “I did not demand first-place benefits. Despite Junwon winning first place, I express disappointment about the fact that he was not placed in the center during the photo shoot for the airport fashion or after the interview in Japan, where Sungmin was selected for the center spot.” Hong Sungmin was a member who placed 3rd in “Boys Fantasy,” which concluded in June.

In response, an executive (referred to as Mr. B) from PocketDol Studio explained, “Neither the manager nor the stylist has ever thought of discrimination as a word. As the clothes were provided as sponsorship, the top and bottom pieces were connected, and they had to be worn together. We intended to put on a B-shirt in the end, but he wanted to wear different clothes, so we changed them. Every staff member is working hard to achieve the best results.”

Regarding this, Junwon’s mother claimed that these statements were not true.

On the 24th, Ms. A, Junwon’s mother, stated, “This was during the initial stages of contract negotiations. After hearing that Junwon was discussing the contract, some parents who received calls from their children reached out to me. There were differences in the things that Mr. Isa said to me and what he said to the other child’s mother. At that time, Junwon requested to change the pants he wore at the airport because they didn’t cover his physique well, but the request was not accepted. When I heard that the clothes were changed for the other child the next day, I asked Mr. Isa to clarify the situation. Also, after the interview in Japan, the center position was assigned to Sungmin, and that led to a misunderstanding about discrimination between the agency and trainees. I heard that the schedule was not shared in advance, and when I conveyed this, they promised to share the schedule directly, but I never received it.” She argued that it was a problem with the company’s side.

Furthermore, there is a difference in opinion between Junwon and PocketDol Studio regarding whether there were unfair contract clauses related to his departure from Fantagio Boyz.

Recently, Junwon claimed on his newly opened SNS account that the agency made him bear a high fixed fee. In response, PocketDol Studio said, “According to the subsidiary agreement, the company would initially cover half of the fixed costs, and the remaining half would be deducted from the total sales of Fantagio Boyz, divided among the members as a 1/12 deduction. There is no issue with that.”

Recently, Junwon appointed a legal representative and applied for an injunction to suspend the effect of the exclusive contract at the Seoul Western District Court. Fantagio Boyz has been restructured with 11 members, including Kim Gyu-rae, Hong Sungmin, Oh Hyuntae, Lee Hanbin, Linchi, Kang Min-seo, Hikari, Soul, Kim Woosuk, Hikaru, and K-Dawn, and their debut has been confirmed for the 21st of next month.

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