Former EXO member Z.Tao has lost another lawsuit against his former company, SM Entertainment.
The Seoul Central District Court announced its ruling against Z.Tao on 28th April (Friday). The lawsuit was previously filed by Tao against his former label over “issues regarding the duration of his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment, distribution of profit, discrimination, and more”.
Although Z.Tao and his lawyer argued that SM Entertainment’s terms were unfair, the label argued with, “The contract we used was based on a standard contract provided by the Fair Trade Commission so there is nothing that could be of issue in the contract.”
The court also ordered reconciliation efforts, but sadly, the mediation failed as both sides did not manage to reach a common conclusion.
SM Entertainment’s official statement reads:
“On 28th April 2017, the Seoul Central District Court concluded the dismissal of Z.Tao’s claim to reexamine the efficiency of his exclusive contract. As a result, his entire lawsuit has been made void. SM Entertainment welcomes the court’s decision, and promises to carry out even more active business in China and Asia. Through this decision, we also hope that a system of abiding by the terms of fair entertainment contracts will be practiced widely, and expect further developments in the progress of entertainment industries in Korea, China, and the rest of Asia.”
SM Entertainment also filed a lawsuit against Z.Tao to prohibit him from promoting actively in the Chinese entertainment industry. However, it was dismissed.
Z.Tao’s departure from EXO came after Kris and Luhan’s. Kris sought to terminate his contract with SM Entertainment on May 2014 while Luhan followed in October. Z.Tao was initially vocal about Kris’ departure, labeling him a “traitor”. However, he eventually left the group in April 2015, citing health issues.
