[ASKKPOP] Noh Min Woo files lawsuit against SM Entertainment for 'slave contract' + SM responds

According to the reports, the lawsuit was filed towards the end of April where the actor asked for a 100 million KWR (~$ 90,000 USD) compensation for the damages that the agency had caused during his promotional period. Around the same time that Noh Min Woo filed the lawsuit, he also reported SM to the Fair Trade Commission for unfair corporate practices. This is an interesting case for artists often file their lawsuits while their contract is still valid with the agency, but Noh Min Woo has filed his suit after his contract with SM Entertainment ended.

The official statement released byMJ Dreamsys, the current agency housing Noh Min Woo, stated, "SM Entertainment noticed his talents early and, before Noh Min Woo debuted, they extended the exclusive contract by 17 years. According to the rules of Fair Trade Commission, any standard exclusive contract form that is over seven years can be cancelled by the entertainer at any time." 

It continued, "The fact that he was tied into a slave contract is a problem, but when he showed signs of resistance, SM stopped supporting him as his management company and, when he finally gained independence away from SM, the agency made it impossible for him to appear on any broadcasting stations. He was one of the first victims of SM's method of revenge." 

The CEO of MJ Dreamsys, also reported to be the mother of Noh Min Woo, gave her two cents to the press, saying, "The rumors stating that he was the one to leave TRAX is not true. Why are they blaming one child for something that SM Entertainment couldn't handle correctly? They were the ones who didn't give a chance to Noh Min Woo when he wanted to actively promote. 

"When he tried to change agencies, SM would always interfere. The furthest it went was when he finally got to initial talks with one agency. It wasn't easy getting projects, and going on variety shows were even harder. I didn't know that the wall of SM Entertainment was this big." 

Meanwhile, SM Entertainment released a rather hasty response to the situation, saying that the claims made by Noh Min Woo were groundless and that they will be taking legal actions after reviewing the suit.