Beloved Survival Show Contestant Announces Contract Termination — Exposes Major Issues At Company

Actor and idol trainee Kim Dongbin has announced his departure from his agency.

Kim Dongbin first became known to fans through his participation in season 2 of Produce 101, where he nearly made the top half of the contestants. Following this, he appeared on Produce X 101, ranking 42nd overall.

Following his time on Produce X 101 in 2017, Dongbin signed with JACSO Entertainment and was a member of XODIAC‘s pre-debut line-up. It is this label from which he has since announced his departure.

In a letter on Instagram, Dongbin shared the news, thanking the company but also mentioning that a lack of support — including transportation, meals, and other necessary items — contributed to this choice. He also mentioned discrimination, saying that he could not go into further detail about the situation.

Hello, this is Kim Dongbin.

December 17, 2024

It has been a long time since I wrote a handwritten letter like this. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to fans who have waited for so long, and I will strive to show you even better versions of myself in the future. As of today, December 17, 2024, 1 am terminating my contract with One Cool Jacso Entertainment, where I have been for six years. I want to thank the company for its support since the contract was signed on November 23, 2019. However, the reason for the contract termination is due to a lack of smooth communication with the company, and despite being active, I have received insufficient support in various areas, such as basic meal allowances, clothing, transportation, lessons, accommodation, and more.

Consequently, I found it difficult to fulfill my obligations as an artist while having to take on part-time jobs unintentionally, leading to my decision to terminate the contract. While I cannot disclose everything that has happened within the company, many people are growing weary of the countless instances of discrimination, waiting, and a lack of understanding. I do not want to give up on my dreams with my own hands. Moving forward, I will become a more developed, humble artist, Kim Dongbin, who does not cause problems.

— Kim Dongbin

In 2023, Kim Dongbin participated in the survival show Asia Super Young, just missing making the winning group, and made his debut as an actor in the BL (boy love) web series As A Gangster, I Got A Boyfriend.

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