KARA members take legal action to split from DSP

From left, KARA members Kang Ji-young, Nicole, Park Gyu-lee, Han Seung-yeon and Gu Hara. [DSP Media]

Girl group KARA members Han Seungyeon, Kang Jiyoung and Nicole Jung have decided to push forth with their decision to split from agency DSP Media.

The three singers filed a petition to the Seoul Central District Court on Monday, requesting for their contract with DSP to be invalidated for them failing to pay them properly.

The move comes as a surprise to fans and the entertainment industry since the two parties were seen making progress in reaching a resolution to the three's mid-January decision to leave DSP for various reasons amounting to them having lost their trust in the agency.

After several rounds of talks, they had agreed to cooperate on fulfilling the contracts and schedules which have already been set and that KARA would continue to stay a five-member group after which they officially resumed their activities in both Korea and Japan in early February.

However, Han, Kang and Jung's legal representative Landmark said, "KARA and DSP have been negotiating but failed to narrow differences which is why the three have ended up having to file a lawsuit."

Their petition stated, "DSP revealed to us that KARA made 410 million won from January to June last year from sales of our songs but that it cost them 390 million to support our activities which is an excessively large sum. Even when we were popular with 'Lupin,' DSP paid KARA 860,000 won (per person) for six months. We basically got paid 140,000 won per month."

They then added, "DSP deducted the cost that went into supporting our activities without prior discussion with us. This is a case of embezzlement."

In response, DSP said through an official statement that the three's decision is "highly baffling" and that the numbers reported in news reports are "distorted."

They said however, they will continue to support KARA's activities and do "the best to solve the issue amicably."

KARA has been one of the most popular girl groups in Korea since making their debut with their first album "Blooming" in 2007. They have released several singles and albums containing their hits "Pretty Girl," "Wanna" and "Lupin."

The quintet then expanded their career to Japan in August last year after signing with Universal Music Sigma, a branch of Universal Music group, which too has been a success.

They were named best new artist of the year at the 25th annual Japan Gold Disc Award, have placed at No. 1 on the Oricon chart's listing for the most successful new artist of 2010, and Oricon also named them the most promising artist of 2011.

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Jessica Kim jesskim@