Singer Lee Mu-jin files contract termination suit against Big Planet Made Entertainment

Singer Lee Mu-jin filed a lawsuit seeking to terminate his exclusive contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment and recover unpaid settlement fees. He previously requested an injunction to suspend the contract.

Lee filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court on June 16, seeking confirmation that his exclusive contract with Big Planet Made Entertainment is now invalid and demanding unpaid settlement fees, according to legal sources on Wednesday.

The lawsuit will also confirm whether Lee lawfully notified the agency on March 27 of his intention to terminate the contract.

Lee claims that the agency violated its duty of trust by failing to pay a total of 2.01 billion won ($1.3 million) in settlement fees from the second through fourth quarters of last year, as well as from the first quarter of this year.

 Lee previously sought a preliminary injunction regarding a contract suspension. The Seoul Central District Court granted the injunction on Wednesday. As a result, his exclusive contract will not be in effect until a ruling is issued in the main lawsuit.

During a hearing on the injunction request on May 27, Big Planet Made said that it doesn't "believe that the circumstances surrounding the nonpayment of settlement fees are entirely attributable to the debtor."

The agency added, "If [Lee] wishes to suspend the exclusive contract, then we will accept that."

Big Planet Made Entertainment is a subsidiary of One Hundred Label. Cha Ga-won, the CEO of One Hundred Label, is under police investigation on allegations of fraud involving 30 billion won.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]