Six FANTASY BOYS members—Kang Minseo, Lee Hanbin, Hikaru, Hong Sungmin, Kim Gyurae, and Kaedan—have filed a lawsuit against their agency, PocketDol Studio. They seek to invalidate their exclusive contracts. According to reports on November 18, the members also applied for an injunction to suspend the contracts while the case is being reviewed.
The lawsuit cites several issues, including a lack of transparency in settlements and unpaid earnings. Their other complaints include missing/incomplete financial documents, operational issues, and broken trust due to the agency not fulfilling parts of contracts. The members claim that the agency failed to provide proper documentation for earnings.
According to them, PocketDol Studio listed labor costs that did not exist and even mishandled visa matters for foreign members. As a result, their ability to work legally in South Korea was significantly affected.
A representative from PocketDol Studio responded by saying the company is “currently checking regarding the news report.”
This is not the first time tensions between the agency and its artists have become public. In November, Kang Minseo revealed through a fan communication platform that the electricity in the group’s dorms had been cut off because the agency had not paid the bills. This made headlines due to the difficult living conditions the members were experiencing.
In addition, all six members posted a coordinated message on their official fan app. They apologized for being unavailable over the weekend. Fans speculated that the agency may have been restricting their communication.
This is not the first time PocketDol Studio has faced controversy. Nam Dohyon, formerly of BAE173, left the agency after a lawsuit in 2023.
Earlier this month, BAE173’s Doha (Na Gyumin) also filed a lawsuit to suspend his contract. He said he experienced “great unfairness.” The agency denied his claims and said he was simply “insincere” in his activities.
The company previously faced criticism for not paying a partner company. Producer Kim Kwang Soo, who founded PocketDol Studio and MBK Entertainment, has a long history in K-pop. He is known for launching acts like T-ara, Jo Sung Mo, Turbo, and Song Ga In. He has also produced audition shows like The Unit, Under Nineteen, and After School Excitement.
MBK Entertainment, the agency’s parent company, had a major conflict with T-ara over rights to the group name. Kim Kwang-soo was fined in 2021 for vote manipulation on a survival program to benefit trainees from his agency.
PocketDol Studio also used to manage the girl group CLASS:y, who recently moved to K-Tigers Entertainment and are preparing for a comeback.
FANTASY BOYS itself has seen several departures since its formation on the survival show Fantasy Boys in 2023. Members Yu Junwon and K-Soul left the group prior to this lawsuit, which reduced the group’s lineup from 12 to 10 members. Now that six members have taken legal action, the future of FANTASY BOYS and the careers of those involved remain unclear.
