This is just the beginning.
All of you have probably been reading up, in perhaps, the largest case this time round with SM Entertainment. Every time they reach their peak they seem to find a way to dwindle back down again.
Some of you will remember when ShinHwa left SM, and even less of you will remember when H.O.T broke up. Each time was unique unto its own, but one thing was a constant, SMs mishandling and mistreatment of their stars. This time it’s DBSKs turn to face them head on.
No one at their highest form would want to drop from the label that made them famous. If anything they should have a loyalty with each other, a loyalty that goes beyond a legal contract, a deep bond and trust that comes from years of training and years of being an active star under the guide of their company.
But when things like this happen over and over again, it makes it clear who one should trust when a lawsuit like this, or a discussion like this arises. “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. And this being the third time with their biggest active stars, the public should follow that saying properly and stop being fooled. No one is saying it’s time to blind ourselves, deafen our ears and just follow whatever the DBSK lawyers say. No, but to see through the media guise that SM have been using.
It’s undeniably clear who are indeed the “victims” and who are the wolves in wannabe sheep clothing are.
Honestly, I always had low expectations when it came to SM. But when the figures came out from the DBSK lawyers my eyes still popped out of their sockets.
I thought it was bad, real bad, and my expectations were low, real low, but SM still managed to beat my expectations and make me see that I in fact didn’t give them enough credit with their slave contracts.
a 13 year contract?
In the Entertainment business, that is a contract for showbiz LIFE. And it being 13 years means that they signed it before they debuted and of course were underage. Wow, talk about low.
And I have no doubt in believing that SM knew that DBSK would be big. Think about it, if you want boy bands you go to SM, they know how to make them well, especially the 5 member boy band. They did it once with H.O.T, had an extra member with Shinhwa, and even though they’re expectations were low in the beginning with Shinhwa, they proved themselves worthy and turned out amazing. So, even in their negligence they still had a great group that dominated. And by just looking and listening at DBSK, even before they take the stage, you could tell that these boys were going places.
What I guess pissed me off the most, is the amount of control that SM had over these poor boys lives.
Everything, big or small was controlled by them, one week holidays in a year, having to comply to SMs scheduling, without contest, having to pretty much do anything and everything they say to you and when you complain are ignored?
That is, quite simply, stripping them of their basic rights as human beings. Having no free will pretty much means you are a slave.
It’s outrageous. And what is even more devious to me is SMs handling of the other two of DBSK. At the time that the three DBSK boys in question were spotted heading to lawyers offices’, SM suddenly announced a change of schedule for Yunho, a new drama, and days later came news of Changmin working on a new drama. It pretty much looked like a known war tactic, divide and conquer.
Whats worse for SM than all 5 standing united against them? That would probably cause a larger dive in stock too. And what this does is, do the best damage SM would want to the masses, create doubt. “Why not all 5?” … “JaeJoong, YooChun and Junsu are selfish/suffering/betrayed/malicious…..” “Yunho and Changmin are cowardly/loyal/traitors/selfish….” This splits the fans a part and makes the public/shareholders wonder.
And what do DBSK need the most now? Support. From fans and the public alike.
So far even with JaeJoong, Yoochuns and Junsus press release, there is one clear thing there. They are talking about DBSK as a unit, and not them on their own. And them gaining anything would be for all their sakes. And I don’t really think talking about the Cosmetics Company is even worth the bother, because clearly, that is not the issue at all, just a tactic by SM to deviate from the true issue. Talking about the Cosmetics company is as futile as talking about Lee SooMans venture in to the Wine making business.
Let’s attack the points DBSK stated in their Press release:
The 13 Year Contract:
- Does not include Military Service.
- Cancelling the exclusivity clause means triple the amount of Investment by SM and double the loss in earnings.
- Cancelling the contract amounts to moneys we can never dream of knowing how large they are.
- No Contract Fees.
- Album earnings: Don’t sell over 500K, get nothing.
It’s insane when you look at it plainly. So basically, there is no way out, because they’re not even paid a quarter of how much they need to get these clauses lifted from their contract, and will only dream of getting paid the amount that gets them to cancel their contracts. Another note, if they ever so wish to invest in something that may get them a decent amount of money outside the entertainment industry, SM will make sure to blow it out of proportion and make them look like villains (cosmetics business issue). So SM pretty much left them so suffocated, that the only time they can breathe is when they’re so worn out, that they mentally and physically can’t get anywhere afterwards. Nice, that’s a good way to enslave someone, I’ll take note of it when my soul evaporates and my morals are eaten by the Easter Bunny.
DBSKs complaints:
- SM keeps avoiding the true issue.
- No matter how many times they have asked for revisions made, they have been turned away.
- They have been defamed by claims of greed and betrayal about a cosmetics company.
- They lost faith in any rational negotiations and have had to resort to legal actions.
- SM twisted everything cos they know that we’re saying the truths.
- They made us lose the will to continue our dreams.
- We want to stay as one, so bloody hell just comply and let us all be happy.
I may have rephrased things slightly, but that’s the gist of things. 
What makes me wonder the most is, if SM gets such monstrously huge percentages from their artists, how on Gods Green Earth do they manage to fall in to deficit? O_O
And the first response to the press release?
SM said:
We hired a lawyer-man!
When I saw articles about their one response about them hiring a lawyer I couldn’t help but laugh, you have to have a legal department or at least a legal consultant already, how else would you have contracts SMarties?
But then they went out full force…
SMs claims:
- They made 11Billion Won now, so get over it!
- We gave them expensive gifts, FOREIGN and expensive gifts… See, we can be nice!
- That money doesn’t include CFs, endorsements, etc.
- We told them they would get tired before they did this, so there!
- Come on, come on, there’s only THREE OF THEM involved in this case, of course it’s all about makeup, so they can keep up their image and market the products as their own!
- There is no law that says we can’t have contracts longer than 7 years! yay for loopholes!
- There’s no law saying singers can’t promote overseas, stop your belly-aching!
- We changed the exclusivity rights clause a few times, here’s some dates and some reasons why, but we wont tell you what the conditions were.
- We’re slave-drivers and we love it!
Again, I twisted some wording myself, but the message is still the same, and I figure someone has to twist SMs words, its not fair, they do it to everyone, they should get hit with it! 
Nonetheless, SMs figures seem a little shady, no specifics again. Was it pre-tax, how much did they actually get? Would it be so hard to actually produce the accounts and then let the courts tell us the figures as opposed to your one figure and no proof?
About the wonderful gifts, it’s nice to know that you think you’re their Sugar Daddies. Mentioning gifts seems like they’re trying to make up for something…over compensation anyone? And there’s word going round that the cars that the boys have aren’t in fact gifts from SM, but under SMs name and not theirs. So, DBSK are pretty much borrowing them.
And Japan and China and all their other activities, where does that money go…. Most importantly, those hundreds of concerts they’ve done? Again, where do you put that moneys SM, who does it go to?
I addressed this before and I knew it would come up from mighty SM, the fact that only 3 are involved in this. Well, SM, if you victimise someone long enough, twist them and prod them, force them to do so much, and then make them out to be evil doers who invest their money in makeup, that they wont stand up for themselves? And evidently, it isn’t above SM to manipulate others and their schedules, so could it have been possible that they made YunHo and ChangMins schedule so busy that they physically could not be able to consult with lawyers and sign agreements saying they will partake in a court case as such? And seriously, trust them to bring it up so many times, if they keep it bringing it up I’m going to brand the SM board as drag queens who like to put on Chinese makeup every weekend and are jealous that the boys are shareholders and not them.
I think I’ve rattled on for long enough, but no matter what, this is probably the case to keep your eye on, fan or no fan, this is the biggest group in Asia and one of the biggest entertainment companies in Korea. I won’t guarantee that I’ll be covering this, I just found the press release so ludicrous that I couldn’t keep my ramblings for my own private journal.
Fans should, of course, keep the faith in their boys. This lawsuit by the three was probably the hardest decision they have had to make in their entire lives. The stress that comes with it, the bashing, the war that will ensue, the character defamation, the effect on reputation and of course the effect on family is just so immense. Junsus dad was even harassed at their pizza place for some words on it, with which he gave no comment. They knew it would happen and still went through with it, knowing also that SM would have a strong hold on the media. So it just seems incredibly petty to think it would simply be about a cosmetics business, don’t you think?
Where are all of yous?
Boys you have my support, keep on truckin and change those contracts for good! It worries me to think that kids as young as 6 may have this kind of thing in store for them in the future. Hopefully this means that all contracts under SM will be revised. Slave Management Entertainment needs a complete legal reform and hopefully this will be the new beginning and the kick in the backside to get them treating people like human beings.
