INFINITE’s Sungjong has notified SPK Entertainment of the termination of his exclusive contract, stating that he has not received proper settlement payments and has revealed plans for legal action.
On the 16th of January, Sungjong conveyed his position through an official press release. Sungjong revealed that he signed an exclusive contract with SPK Entertainment in August 2022, promising full support for his activities. However, he stated that he did not receive support for activities such as broadcast appearances, fan meetings, and album releases, and even confessed that he did not receive the contract payment.
The settlement for last year’s solo European tour, INFINITE’s full group comeback, and Asian tour has also not been properly carried out. Sungjong explained that he sent a proof of the contents through a law firm in December last year, demanding rectification, but there was no change, and ultimately, he notified the termination of the exclusive contract at the end of last year.
Read Sungjong’s statement regarding his contract with SPK Entertainment below!
Hello, this is Lee Sungjong.
First of all, I would like to apologize to the fans who have been supporting me and showing me love for causing them concern.
In August 2022, I signed an exclusive contract with SPK Entertainment. At that time, the agency promised to provide full support for my activities, and I entered into the contract with trust in this promise.
However, contrary to the initial promise, I did not receive proper support from SPK Entertainment in terms of broadcast appearances, fan meetings, or the necessary support for album releases. I also did not receive the promised signing fee. We also requested a resolution for the refund issue regarding a canceled fan meeting, but we were ignored.
Despite the inadequate support from the company, I have been doing my best to fulfill my duties while keeping my faith and trust in the company. In March 2023, I released a single called “The One” as a solo singer and went on my first European tour. Last July, I also released “Begin” as part of INFINITE and held an Asian tour called “Comeback Again.” However, the company did not provide settlement documents or payment for these activities, and instead continuously postponed them.
After several months of attempting various discussions to resolve the issues, I sent a notarized statement through a law firm in early December 2023, demanding rectification for the contractual violations. However, SPK Entertainment only evaded the response, which eventually led me to have no choice but to notify them of the termination of the exclusive contract at the end of December 2023.
Separate from the notice of contract termination, I tried to resolve the situation through dialogue, but SPK Entertainment ignored even that. Last week, they officially notified me that they had no intention of discussing the matter.
I wanted to continue resolving the situation through dialogue with the company, but now that the trust relationship with SPK Entertainment has completely collapsed, I plan to take formal legal action through a law firm as soon as possible.
Once again, I am sorry to deliver this unfortunate news to the fans who continue to love and support me. I would like to express my gratitude to those who encourage me.
Source: (A)
