Xiah Junsu readying for solo singing career in Japan

Singer Xiah Junsu [SM Entertainment]

K-pop idol Xiah Junsu will be launching a solo singing career in Japan next month, according to TVXQ's official Japanese webpage on Monday.A notice posted on explained that music channel MTV Japan will run a program in mid-May featuring the music video of the singer's solo debut single "Intoxication." The four-part program, titled "MTV Making the Video," will show how the music video for his new song is created.Xiah will officially unveil the single, written and composed by the singer himself, in Japan at the end of May. Less than two weeks ago, Avex had announced that TVXQ members Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun and Xiah Junsu, currently embroiled in a legal battle with major talenthouse SM Entertainment, have formed a separate group through which they will pursue their singing careers.Hero, Micky and Xiah had asked a court in July of last year to nullify their 13-year exclusive contract with SM to which the court ruled that the agency will not interfere in their individual activitiesThis prompted them to stop working as a group in Korea ever since and in Japan starting this month.SM has filed a suit against the three idols too, claiming 2.2 billion won worth of compensation for the damages the agency and the remaining two members have suffered from the action.TVXQ was considered one of the most successful musical acts in Asia and Japan, becoming one of the first foreign artists to top the prestigious Oricon singles charts six times with their 27th single "Share the World/We are!" They made music history in Japan again in April when their single and album simultaneously placed within the top three slots of Oricon's singles and albums chart. Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>