Underaged Idol Reported Missing To Police As Agencies Feud Over Contracts
On December 27, JTBC‘s survival show, PROJECT 7, aired its final episode, revealing the top trainees.
The top seven finalists who made it to the group’s lineup — Jinxiang, Kenshin, Minwook, Kyoungbae, Seungho, Yeojun, and Sungmin — will be active for two and a half years and promote under the name Close Your Eyes (CTE).
Though the group has not yet debuted, conflicts have already been reported between agencies.
On January 9, the group’s agency, UNCORE, released a statement that an agency had committed a contract breach by attempting to schedule one already-debuted idol’s group activities without prior approval. They did not name a specific label but promised continued actions would result in legal action being taken.
UNCORE's Statement and Request pic.twitter.com/oDlgLomUZ2
— CLOSE YOUR EYES (@closeyoureyes_7) January 10, 2025
“All participants and their agencies of PROJECT 7 have been fully aware of that, upon signing the participation contract, they would not be allowed to engage in activities outside the project group without prior approval from UNCORE, in the event that they were selected as final members of the project group.
However, a specific agency has been attempting to organize domestic and international events that go against the terms of the participation contract after it was signed. Furthermore, the agency has unilaterally claimed that their artists would engage in activities with a separate group alongside the CLOSE YOUR EYES project group, causing significant harm not only to the corresponding artists but also to the other members.
Most concerning is that this agency has pressured the artists to participate in conflicting activities, without properly informing them or obtaining prior consent, until shortly before the scheduled dates. This includes forcing responsibility for non-compliance, which is highly worrisome. UNCORE is preparing for the CLOSE YOUR EYES debut in collaboration with the artists, under the full consent of both the artists and their families, ensuring their safety.
PROJECT 7 aims to grow a project group fully assembeled by fans into a global idol group with their sincere support. To achieve this, a significant amount of investment and effort from numerous staff members have been put into it.
As an audition program, it is a promise to the public so it should be conducted fairly. PROJECT 7 has strived to establish a fair and reasonable audition culture throughout all stages.
UNCORE will not overlook the selfish actions of the specific agency that undermine the hard work of the WORLD ASSEMBLERS, participants, casts, and production staff who have supported PROJECT 7. UNCORE sternly warns that the agency’s intentional interference with CLOSE YOUR EYES activities constitutes a breach of contract, unfair competition, and illegal actions, and we will take all necessary legal measures.
UNCORE is committed to supporting CLOSE YOUR EYES activities, upholding the spirit of PROJECT 7, our promise to the WORLD ASSEMBLERS, and the establishment of a fair audition culture. We will ensure that the artists focus solely on the main activities for the promised period without engaging in any concurrent activities.
UNCORE has not granted any third parties the rights to CLOSE YOUR EYES performances, MDs, or related business rights. We urge you to be cautious of any individuals who may falsely claim to hold rights related to CLOSE YOUR EYES and enter into contracts that could lead to harm.”
— UNCORE
The unnamed agency has since been revealed to be PocketDol Studio, home to CYE members Kenshin Sakurada and BAE173‘s J-Min (Jeon Minwook.)
In a statement released by PocketDol, a legal representative addressed the initial claims while leveling new ones against UNCORE. The statement alleges that initially it was agreed that concurrent activities were possible, but that UNCORE changed their stance.
PocketDol claims that the contract following the selection of the group was not signed as the new terms needed to be negotiated, but that the two idols attended overseas schedules with CYE anyways.
We express our regret over UNCORE’s statement announcing legal action against a specific agency for alleged contract violations. JTBC’s audition program PROJECT 7 signed a prior agreement permitting concurrent activities for BAE173, who had been with us for five years. However, after the final members were selected, they unilaterally changed their position, which we find deeply concerning and disappointing.
UNCORE claims that all participants and their agencies were aware that selected members could not participate in external activities without Uncore’s prior approval. They allege that a specific agency promoted domestic and international activities in violation of the contract and demanded concurrent activities, harming both the selected artists and other members.
These claims are not true. At the request of the production team, we allowed BAE173 and our trainee to participate in PROJECT 7, resulting in J-Min and Kenshin being selected for the debut group. During the process, we signed a participation agreement specifying that concurrent activities would be allowed under certain conditions. This agreement explicitly states that existing contracts disclosed at the time of signing would be exceptions.
The agreement further states that during the 36-month activity period, artists must prioritize project activities. However, existing agreements disclosed before the management contract takes effect would take precedence, and scheduling conflicts should be coordinated in advance.
Both the artists and the production team were fully aware of this arrangement. Accordingly, we shared contracts for BAE173’s album release and overseas tours with the production team to coordinate schedules. Nevertheless, the production team sent a management contract after the final group was selected, stating that concurrent activities would no longer be allowed. Due to the many unresolved points, we were unable to sign this contract.
— Attorney Yang Tae Jung representing PocketDol
PocketDol were also blocked from communicating with Kenshin Sakurada and J-Min and not informed of their accommodation details. Because of this, and the agency being Kenshin Sakurada’s legal guardian as he is a minor, a missing persons report was filed on January 8.
The statement concluded with PocketDol vowing to release communications and contracts if the issues were not resolved.
Additionally, UNCORE obstructed our communication with J-Min and Kenshin and refused to provide their lodging information. Despite our repeated requests for contact, they ignored us. Particularly concerning is that Kenshin, a minor, is under our guardianship in Korea. This prompted us to file a missing person report on January 8 to ensure their safety.
UNCORE then misled the police by claiming the two were with their parents. When the police verified this with the parents, UNCORE admitted the two were at the practice studio. Such actions have seriously undermined trust.
UNCORE has stated it will not tolerate ‘selfish actions by a specific agency’ and intends to pursue legal action for alleged contract violations and unfair competition. However, it was PROJECT 7 that initially encouraged participation by allowing concurrent activities, only to change their position after the debut group was formed. We question which agency is truly engaging in intentional obstruction and unfair practices.
If these issues are not acknowledged, we are ready to release the contracts and email exchanges. We strongly condemn the actions of JTBC’s PROJECT 7 and will pursue all necessary legal measures.
— Attorney Yang Tae Jung representing PocketDol
CYE are scheduled to debut sometime in spring 2025.
