KBS Responds to Claims of Pressure on EXO's Xiumin Regarding Music Bank Appearance

EXO's Xiumin has claimed that he faced pressure from his former agency, SM Entertainment, which led to his absence from KBS's Music Bank during his solo comeback. In response to a viewer petition, KBS provided clarification on the situation.

On March 4, the agency One Hundred stated that Xiumin, who is under the label INB100, was set to release his solo album on March 10. They expressed frustration over KBS's lack of communication, claiming that despite multiple attempts to arrange meetings, KBS remained unresponsive.

They further alleged that KBS had unofficially communicated that Xiumin could not appear on Music Bank alongside other SM artists, and that their continued outreach had been ignored. KBS, however, denied these claims, stating that they were unfounded. The situation escalated when One Hundred announced that artists Lee Mujin and Lee Soo Geun would not participate in KBS recordings, fueling ongoing controversy.

In response to the viewer petition submitted on March 9, KBS acknowledged the concerns regarding Xiumin's absence from Music Bank. They stated that discussions had taken place regarding his participation, but there were differences in expectations during those talks. KBS emphasized that Music Bank is open to all agencies and artists, and that the lineup is determined through communication with artists who wish to perform, taking various factors into account.

KBS also requested understanding from fans, citing limited scheduling and production conditions that prevent them from accommodating all requests. They expressed empathy for fans who were looking forward to Xiumin's performance and committed to facilitating more opportunities for artists to connect with their fans through Music Bank in the future.

In related news, Xiumin's group, ChenBaekXi, notified SM Entertainment of their intent to terminate their exclusive contract in 2023, citing issues such as the refusal to provide settlement documents and allegations of being forced into a slave contract. SM has since raised concerns about potential tampering regarding ChenBaekXi.

The situation has since been resolved through an agreement between SM and ChenBaekXi, with Baekhyun establishing his own label, INB100, in January of last year, marking the beginning of individual activities for Chen and Xiumin. However, tensions between the parties continue to escalate, with SM filing a claim against ChenBaekXi and the group also pursuing legal action for settlement claims.