No Min Woo is experiencing a backlash for his alleged lawsuit against SM, following a news segment where his mom cried on camera. On May 13, his mother appeared on a segment of the SBS news program, "One Night of TV Entertainment." During the segment, she delivered allegations of unfair contract conditions and broadcast bans from his former agency, SM Entertainment. His mother currently serves as his representative, after establishing her own agency to represent her son.
"SM Entertainment interfered with my son's broadcast activities," she said.
She started crying throughout the segment. On May 13, allkpop published the following statement from "One Night of TV Entertainment." "Why else would I have started a company like this, when I know nothing about entertainment," said his mother. "Despite this, all broadcasts continue to block him."
No's mother continued to discuss the situation and the toll it has taken on her son. "Last Saturday, I saw him wailing and crying, for the first time ever," she said.
Netizens have responded to the segment, with harsh criticism. An article published by Newsen carried some of the strongest comments from forum users. According to Netizen Buzz, one of the highest rated comments stated, "He was barely in the TRAX for two years before he left and joined T-ara's agency in 2006," said the unnamed commenter. "He received lots of support and promoted just fine. Why is he pulling this out now?"
No and his mother have been criticized for the length of time that has passed prior to their alleged lawsuit. He debuted with SM Entertainment in 2004 as a member of the pop-rock group TRAX. No departed from the group in 2006. After his departure from SM Entertainment, he was briefly a member of the group Romanticist and launched the musical project 24/7.
He experienced difficulty with relaunching a music career but transitioned into acting. In 2010, he landed supporting roles in "Pasta" and "My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox."
He was represented by Core Contents Media until 2012, when his contract expired. Since 2012, he has been represented by MJ Dreamsys, a company established by his mother.
No is the latest artist to deliver allegations of broadcast bans and unfair contract allegations against SM Entertainment. His allegations include a practice commonly referred to as slave contracts, where unreasonable terms or conditions are placed on artists. According to his recent allegations, he has contractually obligated to work for SM Entertainment , over the course of 17 years. He also alleges that he has been banned from broadcast, since his departure from the agency.
SM Entertainment has received similar allegations from artists including former TVXQ members Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu. In 2014, the agency became the center of media attention when Wu Yi Fan (Kris) and Luhan departed from the popular male group EXO, after delivering similar allegations of unfair contract conditions.
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About the writer: Adrienne Stanley is a contributing writer for Kpopstarz, KDramastars, MTV Iggy and CJ Entertainment's KCON blog. Her passions include a love of K-pop and Asian drama. When she is not writing she is hanging out on Twitter (@retrogirladdy).
