EXO-CBX expresses intent to comply with SM Entertainment's condition for group activities
EXO's Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, collectively known as EXO-CBX, publicly stated their commitment to rejoining EXO's group activities and fulfilling SM Entertainment's condition of paying the agency 10% of their individual revenue once the legal proceedings conclude.
"CBX’s intention to pay 10 percent of revenue remains unchanged. As litigation is currently ongoing, they plan to fulfill this once an agreement is reached and the legal procedures are concluded," the sub-unit's current label, INB100, said in a statement on Thursday.
"CBX made clear their intent to perform the existing agreement, were communicating directly with the members, and have been striving to be together as part of the group," it added.
It also clarified that they have conveyed to SM Entertainment their intention to pay the requested 10%, but said that the amount proposed by the mediator on Oct. 2 was unrelated to the agreement.
"Around the court’s mediation date, CBX conveyed to SM their intention to pay 10 percent of revenue from individual activities and awaited SM’s final reply. However, the amount proposed by the mediator on October 2 was an arbitrary figure unrelated to the parties’ agreement; therefore, both sides stated at the mediation that they could not accept it," IN100 said.
"When that amount was subsequently served in writing, both parties filed objections on Oct. 16. This was merely a routine procedural step, and the claim that CBX had no intention to settle is not true," it added.
The agency apologized to fans who were confused and concerned about the legal proceedings with SM Entertainment, and promised to "faithfully carry out the existing agreement and will do their utmost to rebuild trust with the members and to reach an amicable agreement with SM."
Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin debuted as a sub-unit in 2016. In June 2023, they filed for the termination of their contracts with SM Entertainment, citing issues with transparency regarding their earnings and unfair “slave contracts.”
A year later, they announced that they were taking legal action against their former label, calling out SM Entertainment for demanding a share of their revenue, all while failing to fulfill their promise of a 5.5% distribution fee.
They shared that they proposed an agreement instead of paying the agency’s music, assets, and name, but the latter did not give any response to their attempts to negotiate.
For their part, SM Entertainment said that they would be suing the trio. The company also denied the allegations at the time, saying that EXO-CBX members "personally signed the agreement to pay" a part of their revenue.
They are now under the independent agency INB100, founded by Baekhyun.
Earlier this week, SM Entertainment announced EXO's upcoming fan meeting in December and full album comeback in 2026, featuring only six members, excluding Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin.
On Wednesday, SM Entertainment said that their only request to settle the dispute was for the trio to pay the 10% as stipulated in their June 2023 agreement, which they claimed had not yet been fulfilled. SM has also maintained that the legal dispute and group activities are separate matters, implying the trio must resolve the financial issue and rebuild trust before participating in group schedules.
