BAE173’s member J-Min (real name Jeon Min Wook) has announced a suspension from the group’s activities, 20 hours after his agency filed a missing person report.
As reported by TenAsia on February 3, the 25-year-old K-pop star will be suspending activities with the group. According to the exclusive report, he plans to focus on his new group, CLOSE YOUR EYES, which is set to debut in April.
However, BAE173’s agency PocketDol Studio has stated that this move constitutes a “breach of contract”.
J-Min informed PocketDol Studio and fellow group members last month of his intention to halt activities with the group. In a phone call with TenAsia, a BAE173 member (hereafter referred to as A) revealed that he expressed his desire to focus on his activities with the new group.
A shared that he wants to leave the group, saying, “If J-Min wants to quit that badly, we can’t stop him.” A revealed that he apologized and gave his blessing for the remaining members to continue without him.
Despite his departure, BAE173 is moving forward with their planned comeback, scheduled for April or May. A told the news media outlet that the members have not been in contact with him since his announcement.
The situation came to a head when J-Min failed to attend a fan signing event on January 10. His agency, PocketDol, reported him missing on January 8, then, he reappeared and joined the meeting 20 hours later. In a meeting at the agency’s office, J-Min reiterated his decision to leave BAE173.
The controversy surrounding his departure from BAE173 began when he was selected as a member of the K-pop group CLOSE YOUR EYES on JTBC’s survival audition program ‘Project 7’ last month. He was still an active member of BAE173 at the time.
Following his selection, a dispute arose between BAE173’s agency, PocketDol and UNCORE, over the terms of J-Min’s contract. For him to join the new group, all three parties, PocketDol, UNCORE, and J-Min himself, needed to sign off on the contract.
However, PocketDol refused to sign, citing significant differences between the proposed contract and the initial terms disclosed before his appearance on ‘Project 7’. Ultimately, the K-pop star cut off all communication with the label.
UNCORE further fueled the controversy by withholding information about his whereabouts, including the location of his dorm. As a result, Pocket Dol filed a missing person report on January 8 at 7 PM KST.
A representative of PocketDol Studio stated that the original contract with “Project 7” producers stated that J-Min could continue his activities with BAE173 even if he joined the new group. However, the revised contract presented after the show required him to cease all his existing activities, including those with BAE173.
PocketDol claims that this change in terms is unacceptable and that J-Min’s decision to halt his activities with BAE173 is a breach of contract. The agency has warned that it will take legal action if necessary to protect its rights.
His contract with PocketDol runs until 2027. However, UNCORE, the agency behind CLOSE YOUR EYES, wants to sign him to a three-year deal. This contract will keep him tied to the new group for three years and by the time he becomes available, BAE173 may have already disbanded.
J-Min’s side declined to comment on reports that he intends to leave BAE173. A manager for CLOSE YOUR EYES also refused to discuss the contract, stating there was no reason to respond.
CLOSE YOUR EYES is a group formed by the top 7 contestants of “Project 7,” and is managed by UNCORE, a joint venture between SLL and YG PLUS.
