The Supreme Court of South Korea dismissed the final appeal of former EXO member Tao, regarding the nullification of his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment.
On March 20, SM Entertainment released a statement that said, “the Supreme Court has rejected Tao’s appeal for non-existing contract with our company. As a result of this trial, the court ruled that the contract between SM Entertainment and Tao is valid and must be complied with.”
They added, “SM welcomes the wise ruling of the court. We will give our best efforts to establish a culture of compliance and fidelity.” Therefore, “we will continuously work to promote a healthy development of the entertainment industry in both South Korea and China, and ensure the safety of our global affiliates.”
Meanwhile, Tao filed a lawsuit to nullify the exclusive contract with SM Entertainment in August, 2015. Beforehand, former EXO members Chris and Luhan had done the same and made settlements with SM in 2016. All 3 members had left their group without permission and engaged in non-contracted promotions with other companies.
However, the court rejected all of Tao’s appeals, including the ones from April and October last year. In conclusion, Tao must respect the exclusive contract with SM Entertainment until its original expiration date in 2022.
Original Article (1), (2)
Translated by Dasol Kim
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