Yong Jun-hyung Exposes Conflict with Agency: “They Told Me to Pay Billions and Leave”

In the early hours of June 21, Yong Jun-hyung, formerly of BEAST (now Highlight), posted a lengthy message on his social media, alleging that the agency unilaterally terminated his contract.

“On the very day my album was released last year, I was suddenly called in and told, ‘Because we have too many business entities, we need to streamline our label. We’ll cancel your contract with no conditions,’” he wrote.

He continued, “I said I didn’t understand and was shocked. Then they suddenly said, ‘Let’s try again.’ But within a month or two, they told me to leave the company.”

Yong claimed the agency later demanded he repay investment funds from a distributor he had never approved, as well as cover damages calculated by the company. “They cited several clauses in the contract, but I’ve never violated any terms,” he explained. “Now they’ve calculated billions of won arbitrarily and told me to pay up and leave?”

Yong stated he refused to accept such demands and requested to be managed according to the contract terms. However, he claims the agency has since gone silent. “It’s been months without a word from them. So who’s really breaking the contract?” he concluded.

Yong Jun-hyung previously left Highlight in 2019 after admitting to receiving and viewing illegally filmed videos during the “Burning Sun” scandal. In October 2022, he launched his solo career under Black Made, a sub-label of Big Planet Made Entertainment.

Last year, he also made headlines for marrying fellow artist HyunA, a top K-pop singer and performer.

With no official statement yet from the agency, fans and industry insiders alike are watching closely as the dispute unfolds.