KARA divided over contract disputes

The K-Pop music industry has been shaken by the whirlwind of controversy surrounding top girl group KARA. The group, composed of five members and rivals the fame of Girls Generation (SNSD) in Japan, is known for their hits "Honey," "Lupin," and "Jumping."

Last January 19, four of the five KARA members officially announced through their lawyers that they will be severing ties with their management company, DSP Media. Interestingly, the group's leader Park Gyuri did not join the lawsuit.

In their initial statement to the media last January 19, lawyers representing the four members, Seungyeon, Jiyoung, Nicole, and Goo Hara, said they decided to terminate their contract over financial and human rights issues, and contract disputes.

However, a day after the initial announcement, one of the KARA members who joined the lawsuit, Goo Hara, officially changed her position and decided to continue with DSP. The other three members continued on with their lawsuit and released another statement to the media while DSP started work to safeguard the "KARA" brand by formally applying for a trademark. Recent reports reveal, however, that Seungyeon may also reconsider and return to DSP.

This case reminds the K-pop industry of another high profile case involving hallyu superstars TVXQ more than a year ago. It is unfortunate that talents are wasted due to these types of disputes. After all the smoke has cleared, we hope that fans can still look forward to their favorite artists' performances.

Photo courtesy of SportsKorea

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