The group’s legal representative said April 21 that the members recently filed a complaint accusing One Hundred Label CEO Cha Ga-won of embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The complaint was filed by nine members, excluding member New, the representative said.
The conflict had already surfaced over the group’s exclusive contract. The Boyz signed with One Hundred in December 2024. In February, nine members filed for an injunction to suspend the contract’s effect. At the time, the members said the agency had not paid settlements since July last year and had refused to allow them to review materials needed to verify transparency in the accounting. One Hundred countered that it could not accept their request to terminate the contract.
With the criminal complaint, The Boyz has stepped up pressure on the agency. One Hundred’s legal representative, attorney Hyun Dong-yeop, rejected the allegation, saying, “The embezzlement claim against CEO Cha Ga-won raised by The Boyz is groundless,” and adding that the company “has faithfully carried out its settlement obligations” to the group.
Hyun said the company would respond by “mobilizing all legal means, including charges for false accusation,” while adding that it still wants “all 10 members of The Boyz” to promote together.
In an additional statement, One Hundred argued the complaint lacks a sufficient legal basis.
According to the company, Yongsan Police Station asked to merge the embezzlement case into an investigation being handled by Team 6 of Unit 1 of the Financial Crime Investigation Division under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Major Crime Investigation Division, which is currently investigating Cha, but the investigative team declined.
One Hundred cited Hyun as saying the refusal appeared to reflect that “the property’s ownership by another party was not recognized based solely on the fact of the complaint.” The company called the filing “a smear complaint with markedly weak legal grounding.”
The agency also disputed the accounting claims. It said accountant Kim Geon-young of accounting firm Hyun completed account analysis and an overall audit and confirmed there was no misuse of funds or embezzlement. One Hundred again said it would pursue legal action, including for false accusation, over what it called an unfounded criminal complaint.
One Hundred also criticized the approach taken by The Boyz’s legal representative, alleging false information was provided to some members to encourage internal division. It also pointed to the first hearing on April 20, saying the other side requested more than a week for additional explanation, and claimed the goal was to delay through a public-relations campaign rather than resolve the matter. The company said it has already paid large signing bonuses and settlements to the members and that its settlement payment plan is transparently established.
Despite the legal fight, The Boyz plans to proceed with scheduled concerts. The group is set to hold a solo concert April 24-26 at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park in Seoul’s Songpa district.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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