
Share This Article
THE BOYZ and VIVIZ Terminate Contracts: Inside the Big Planet Made Exodus
Nine THE BOYZ members and VIVIZ have filed for contract termination with CEO Cha Ga Won's agencies, citing unpaid settlements and broken trust. The mass exodus follows Taemin's departure and reveals a financial crisis spanning multiple labels.
March 19, 2026
K-pop is witnessing one of its most dramatic agency implosions in recent memory. Nine members of THE BOYZ have notified ONE HUNDRED Label of contract termination, while VIVIZ, Lee Mu Jin, and BE'O have done the same with Big Planet Made Entertainment. All four acts share one common thread: CEO Cha Ga Won, whose entertainment empire is now hemorrhaging talent at an alarming rate.
This comes just weeks after Taemin successfully terminated his contract with Big Planet Made and signed with Galaxy Corp. What we're seeing isn't isolated disputes. It's a systemic collapse.
THE BOYZ: Nine Against the Agency
On February 10, 2026, nine THE BOYZ members, Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric, sent a certified letter to ONE HUNDRED CEO Cha Ga Won notifying her of their intention to terminate their exclusive contracts. Only New has chosen to remain with the agency.
According to their legal representative, attorney Kim Moon Hee of Law Firm Yulchon, the reasons are damning: ONE HUNDRED failed to pay settlement amounts for all activities since July 2025. When members requested basic documents to verify payment transparency, the agency refused without justification.
"Recent media reports have revealed circumstances in which the agency received advance payments amounting to tens of billions of won based on the artists' entertainment activities," the statement reads. "Despite this, the agency has not provided any responsible explanation regarding the current situation where the artists are not being paid their settlement amounts."
ONE HUNDRED fired back, claiming they cannot accept the termination request due to "various controversies involving the members last year" that made normal group activities difficult. The agency also denied allegations that CEO Cha used THE BOYZ's dormitory deposit funds, calling the claim "completely baseless and malicious."
VIVIZ, Lee Mu Jin, and BE'O Follow Suit
On March 19, news broke that VIVIZ (Eunha, SinB, and Umji), soloist Lee Mu Jin, and rapper BE'O had all notified Big Planet Made Entertainment of their contract terminations, citing serious violations and an irreparable breakdown of trust.
Big Planet Made's response was notably tepid: "A final conclusion has not been reached. Our agency is doing its utmost to ensure the artists can continue their activities normally."
For VIVIZ, this is particularly jarring. The trio had re-signed with Big Planet Made just seven months ago, in August 2024, and released their first full album "A Montage of ( )" in July 2025. Whatever happened between then and now was severe enough to fracture that renewed commitment.
The Cha Ga Won Empire in Crisis
CEO Cha Ga Won sits at the center of this storm. She controls multiple entertainment labels: ONE HUNDRED Label (THE BOYZ), Big Planet Made Entertainment (VIVIZ, Lee Mu Jin, BE'O, formerly Taemin), and INB100. Reports indicate all three companies are in states of complete capital impairment.
The financial picture is grim. According to media reports, unpaid settlements across Cha's companies total tens of billions of won (roughly $75-80 million USD) owed to artists and external partners. In February 2026, Cha's personal villa was seized after she failed to pay approximately 3.6 billion won ($2.48 million USD) in luxury shopping expenses.
Staff salaries have reportedly gone unpaid for months. The agencies are allegedly unable to fund future album productions. This isn't mismanagement. It's a house of cards collapsing.
The Artists' Commitment to Fans
What makes THE BOYZ's situation particularly notable is their commitment to existing obligations. Despite the legal battle, the nine members have confirmed they will honor their INTER-ZECTION concert at KSPO Dome from April 24-26, 2026.
"During this process, the artists silently continued their activities to keep their promises to fans," their legal statement noted. It's a testament to where their priorities lie: with the people who supported them, not the agency that allegedly failed to pay them.
What Happens Next
ONE HUNDRED has rejected THE BOYZ's termination notice, setting up a potential legal battle. Big Planet Made hasn't formally accepted or rejected the terminations from VIVIZ, Lee Mu Jin, and BE'O.
For now, these artists exist in contractual limbo. But the pattern is clear. When Taemin left and successfully joined Galaxy Corp, it proved the door could be opened. Now others are following him through it.
The K-pop industry has seen agency disputes before, but rarely at this scale. Multiple major acts from interconnected labels, all citing the same fundamental issue: they did the work, and they weren't paid. Whatever happens in the courts, Cha Ga Won's reputation as a "wealthy executive within the entertainment industry" is in ruins. The artists, meanwhile, are betting their careers on finding a better path forward.







