SM Entertainment has escalated its ongoing dispute with EXO-CBX, the unit made up of Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin. On February 9 and 10, SM placed a provisional seizure on assets belonging to Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, totaling 2.6 billion won.
This means SM has effectively frozen parts of the members’ properties while the legal dispute continues. A provisional seizure is not a final forfeiture. It is a legal measure to prevent someone from selling or moving their assets before a court case is resolved. It ensures that if the company wins, it can collect what it is owed.
The amount seized from each member is different.
Baekhyun’s assets worth 1.6 billion won were frozen. This includes his apartment in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province. The apartment is 142 square meters and was purchased in October 2023.
Xiumin’s apartment in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul was also seized for 700 million won. The property is 166 square meters. He completed the ownership transfer on January 9, 2026, shortly before the seizure.
Chen’s 300 million won jeonse (key money) deposit bond was also included.
The conflict dates back to June 2023. At that time, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin announced they were terminating their exclusive contracts with SM. They cited two main reasons: opaque settlement practices and contract terms they considered unfairly long.
SM denied these claims, stating it had always provided settlement data whenever requested and that the contract periods had already been validated by the Supreme Court.
On June 18, 2023, both sides reached a dramatic agreement. The three members would continue EXO group activities under SM, but their individual and unit activities would be handled by their own new agency, INB100. The key condition was that they would pay SM 10 percent of their individual activity income.
The truce did not last. In June 2024, CBX claimed SM had broken the agreement. They alleged SM promised to help INB100 secure a 5.5 percent distribution fee rate for albums and digital music from major platforms, but failed to deliver. Because of this, CBX argued they were not obligated to pay the 10 percent share.
CBX filed a fraud complaint against SM executives. However, prosecutors dismissed the case late last year, citing insufficient evidence.
SM then countersued, filing a lawsuit demanding that the three members uphold the original contract. The company maintains that the 10 percent payment was never made and that CBX is in clear breach of the 2023 deal.
Early in the dispute, SM also accused outside parties of tampering. A leaked recording allegedly captured MC Mong, a singer and producer, attempting to recruit the EXO members during their contract renegotiation period. Suspicion grew when INB100 later joined One Hundred, a subsidiary led by MC Mong. SM has consistently claimed this was evidence of improper interference.
The legal standoff has had direct consequences for fans and the group itself.
EXO made a full-group comeback in late 2025 and early 2026. They held a fan meeting, EXO’verse, in December 2025 and released their eighth studio album, REVERXE, on January 19, 2026, with the title track Crown.
Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin did not participate.
CBX has stated they want to rejoin group activities. In October last year, INB100 released a statement saying the members accepted all the conditions SM proposed during court mediation and were ready to move forward.
SM, however, has a different view. The company said trust between the parties has been severely damaged by repeated disputes and legal actions. It stated that CBX first needs to sincerely fulfill the existing agreement, pay what is owed, and work to restore trust before group activities can be discussed.
SM also pointed out that while CBX claimed to accept all conditions after an October 2 mediation session, they filed a formal objection to the court’s proposal on October 16. CBX explained this was a routine procedural step because the amount suggested by the mediator was an arbitrary calculation both sides rejected on site.
EXO’s remaining members are scheduled to hold their concert tour, EXhOrizon, at KSPO Dome in Seoul from April 10 to 12. The lineup does not include Chen, Baekhyun, or Xiumin.
As of now, INB100 has not issued an official response to the asset seizure.
