(Group) KARA (카라)

[mrhomiec]

DSP Official Statement. Source: allkpop

    “DSP Media will be making an official statement regarding the contract terminations reported by Jung Nicole, Han Seungyeon, Kang Jiyoung, and Goo Hara of KARA. We received a one-sided declaration from their lawyers, Landmark, on January 18th, but Goo Hara has decided not to join the others in terminating her contract.

    According to their claims, the 10-month hospitalization of CEO Lee Hoyeon caused the management to become inefficient in planning and promoting the group’s activities, but that is not the truth, as the CEO’s wife ran administration in place of the CEO. KARA’s explosive popularity with the Hallyu wave in Japan testifies to these efforts, further proving that the management did not mishandle their activities.

    CEO Lee Hoyeon was not able to run the company himself beginning March of 2010, and KARA’s Japanese achievements were made five months later in August. DSP Media has done all they can in supporting and preparing KARA’s Japanese advancement.

    Regarding the income distribution claims made by Nicole’s mother and their lawyers, the information they revealed was distorted and is a complete misunderstanding. Income was distributed in a manner that was most profitable to the KARA members, and unlike what they claimed, every employee was paid at the same time the moment profits were received.

    They also claimed that DSP used its stature to force unwanted schedules and activities, but this is also a baseless claim. This is a claim that only defames the company employees who have worked their hardest to raise KARA as one of Korea’s top groups and leaders of the Hallyu wave.

    And regarding speculations from another report about a competing agency attempting to persuade their parents and lawyers to terminate the girls’ contract with DSP, we ask that they stop such actions immediately. Should such requests be made repeatedly, we will make sure that they are met with legal consequences.

    As the company that has poured their sweat and effort into creating who KARA is today, we hope that such issues are no longer exaggerated. Should there be issues between both parties, adjustments and reconciliation should be the appropriate step in continuing to promote themselves as a representative girl group of Korea.”

KARA's attorney statement.

    The loss of faith in our company is what hurts us the most!

    The members of Kara and DSP Media began to lose trust in one another ever since the change in DSP’s top management which occurred in March 2010. This is due to the fact that the members of the new management, who lacked professional knowledge, failed to provide proper management for Kara. The current executive director of DSP Media is the wife of Mr. Lee Ho Yeon, the ex-director who is currently ill. She has never worked in the entertainment management industry before; and so far, she has only been concerned about DSP’s profits and the health of DSP. She failed to build a trusting relationship with the members of Kara as she disregarded situations and the growth potential of the members.

    The contract turned into a registration form!

    The members of Kara signed the contract for their work in Japan under the knowledge that it was a simple registration form. The members and the parents were told that the contract, which was in Japanese, was a form for simply registering as a music artist in Japan. This made them sign the contract without knowing that they were signing a contract, and when they asked for a copy of the contract after the fact, a DSP employee declined their request as the contract was not to be released outside of the company.

    The company had no rights to make deals in Japan!

    The executive director of DSP Japan, the company in charge of Kara’s work in Japan, is the same person as the original DSP executive director (wife of Lee Ho Yeon). The company removed part of the earnings as a share of DSP Japan, and then paid the members with a percentage of the remaining portion. This means that the same manager, who owns both companies, cut Kara’s share of the earnings through a transaction out of formality, which resulted in Kara getting taxed twice by the company. According to their contract with DSP, Kara members had their rights violated by this action.

    Karaya is owned by the executive director and his family!

    Karaya is an online clothing store for which three members of Kara (Gyuri, Hara and Jiyoung) work as models. It is owned by the current executive director of DSP Media, and other managerial positions are held by the director’s family members, which clearly shows that this is another scheme to profit from the Kara members. Karaya also made the members wear clothing with the inappropriate line “BEST FUCKIN FIVE” on it then posted the photos on its website, which not only disregarded the reputation of the members, especially Jiyoung who is a minor, but also resulted in heavy complaints from Kara’s fans. This action by DSP was a clear display of how the DSP disregards the reputation or profit of the artists and is only concerned about the profits of itself.

[kuro808]

Well looks like to be the same conditions and I feel this might be the last straw to the group

[cecelialorene]

I'm pretty upset about this to be honest.
Gonna put out my current perspective:
First of all, I have no freaking clue who to believe, scratch that, not understanding the situation!
First I thought it was a prank, then i went into semi shock/confusion, then shock again, then confusion. currently in confusion.
Someone on all kpop described the wife as the evil stepmother to kara.
on one hand it is kinda weird that they would leave with i'm pretty sure not much time left on their contracts, an also without one member. and now hara retreated. like seriously, nobody knows what is going on.
and if it is because of the ceo's wife, that sucks.
i know korea is different when it comes to parents, but why do the legal members have their parents making decisions?
and again, honestly this is only similar to tvxq on paper, because in reality, the members of tvxq are far more talented than kara, and gyuri and hara couldn't really promote successfully under those two since their vocals are not as strong as homins'.
sorry had to say it.
but i really wish they would settle this without a two-year ongoing battle. i love me some kara. i consider myself a pseudo kamilia and i want it to be the five again T.T

[kuro808]

Hara retracted her offer the other three are going to move on

Seungyeon, Hara, Jiyoung and Nicole, the 4 out of 5 members of Kara, previously released a statement regarding their decision to leave their management company, DSP Media. Since then, DSP has released an official statement about the issue in which they argued against some of the four members’ points. Now that Goo Hara changed her mind to return to DSP, the remaining three members decided to press on with their offense and released another statement through Landmark, their legal representatives.

Below is the second statement released by Landmark;

The loss of faith in our company is what hurts us the most!

The members of Kara and DSP Media began to lose trust in one another ever since the change in DSP’s top management which occurred in March 2010. This is due to the fact that the members of the new management, who lacked professional knowledge, failed to provide proper management for Kara. The current executive director of DSP Media is the wife of Mr. Lee Ho Yeon, the ex-director who is currently ill. She has never worked in the entertainment management industry before; and so far, she has only been concerned about DSP’s profits and the health of DSP. She failed to build a trusting relationship with the members of Kara as she disregarded situations and the growth potential of the members.

The contract turned into a registration form!

The members of Kara signed the contract for their work in Japan under the knowledge that it was a simple registration form. The members and the parents were told that the contract, which was in Japanese, was a form for simply registering as a music artist in Japan. This made them sign the contract without knowing that they were signing a contract, and when they asked for a copy of the contract after the fact, a DSP employee declined their request as the contract was not to be released outside of the company.

The company had no rights to make deals in Japan!

The executive director of DSP Japan, the company in charge of Kara’s work in Japan, is the same person as the original DSP executive director (wife of Lee Ho Yeon). The company removed part of the earnings as a share of DSP Japan, and then paid the members with a percentage of the remaining portion. This means that the same manager, who owns both companies, cut Kara’s share of the earnings through a transaction out of formality, which resulted in Kara getting taxed twice by the company. According to their contract with DSP, Kara members had their rights violated by this action.

Karaya is owned by the executive director and his family!

Karaya is an online clothing store for which three members of Kara (Gyuri, Hara and Jiyoung) work as models. It is owned by the current executive director of DSP Media, and other managerial positions are held by the director’s family members, which clearly shows that this is another scheme to profit from the Kara members. Karaya also made the members wear clothing with the inappropriate line “BEST FUCKIN FIVE” on it then posted the photos on its website, which not only disregarded the reputation of the members, especially Jiyoung who is a minor, but also resulted in heavy complaints from Kara’s fans. This action by DSP was a clear display of how the DSP disregards the reputation or profit of the artists and is only concerned about the profits of itself.

Source: AllKPop

Also Gyu Ri will attend certain events in the absence of the group

[Rei-chan]

That baffles me most about all this is to read Gyuri's claims that she didn't know about this at all.

Assuming she's telling the truth, how could she be SO out of the loop about this when she's the leader? Did the other members hide their feelings from her completely? Did the members not consider how she'd feel when she found out?

But then, her mother's statement makes it seem like she knew. If her mother knew about this, then Gyuri should also know beforehand, no? So was she blatantly lying when she claimed to be hearing of all this for the first time? If so, why lie about it when it would become obvious later?

Crazy stuff.

[kuro808]

That baffles me most about all this is to read Gyuri's claims that she didn't know about this at all.

Assuming she's telling the truth, how could she be SO out of the loop about this when she's the leader? Did the other members hide their feelings from her completely? Did the members not consider how she'd feel when she found out?

But then, her mother's statement makes it seem like she knew. If her mother knew about this, then Gyuri should also know beforehand, no? So was she blatantly lying when she claimed to be hearing of all this for the first time? If so, why lie about it when it would become obvious later?

Crazy stuff.

That was probably the thing that has been in my mind and somehow with this story rolling out into what it has been this is just the beginning

[zoolander]

That baffles me most about all this is to read Gyuri's claims that she didn't know about this at all.

Assuming she's telling the truth, how could she be SO out of the loop about this when she's the leader? Did the other members hide their feelings from her completely? Did the members not consider how she'd feel when she found out?

But then, her mother's statement makes it seem like she knew. If her mother knew about this, then Gyuri should also know beforehand, no? So was she blatantly lying when she claimed to be hearing of all this for the first time? If so, why lie about it when it would become obvious later?

Crazy stuff.

Well, clearly they all knew about the ongoing contract dispute. I think the surprise was the termination of the contracts. It sounds like perhaps Hara didn't know it had gotten to that point either?

I know it's pretty common in Korean entertainment that parents oversee finances so that could be a reason for the members being caught off guard. Jiyoung is still a minor so obviously her parents are going to be heavily involved in any kind of contract signings. Gyuri and Nicole's parents weighed in and sound strongly involved.

Honestly, I don't think anyone can reasonably say what the heck is going on at this point. Just jockeying and speculation all over the place, so it's best to take anything with a grain of salt.

[Deft-Monkey]

With three of the KARA members currently filing a lawsuit against DSP Media, close representatives of the girls have alerted fans that there is no personal dispute between them, and that the girls are handling it in a mature manner.

A representative revealed on January 20th:

“When groups go through such a controversy, it’s only to be expected that they fight amongst themselves.  With KARA, there’s nothing like that. Although there was a strange current surrounding the group since last year, there hasn’t been any discord between the members.”

Their characters and personalities are all so different, and there was a member who didn’t have a close relationship with the rest, but they overcame all of that with extreme trust through years of working together. They’ve built up a strong sense of co-dependence on one another by working in Japan, which further strengthened their friendships.

Each of the five members have different thoughts, but they’ve never fought or argued because of them. The five did not talk about unnecessary things in the presence of others, as they respect and are considerate of each other.”

Another representative of DSP Media also added, “Because of the differences in opinions, there most likely was something they were all uncomfortable with, but there definitely isn’t any discord.  When they were working, they came together stronger than anyone else.”

Source: Newsen

Yesterday, KARA’s Seungyeon, Hara, Jiyoung and Nicole released a statement regarding their decision to leave their management company, DSP Media. DSP Media released an official statement responding to the issue, in which they argued against some of the four members’ points.

On January 20th, DSP Media released a second statement, but instead of providing yet another round of clarifications, the statement was a mere request for patience from fans.

The document reads:

“Hello, this is DSP Media.

We believe that there must be a lot of people currently feeling confused over the reports being made by the media regarding the termination of KARA’s exclusive contracts.

First of all, we would like to deeply apologize for creating such confusion and concerns.

About five years have passed since KARA first began promoting themselves and met with their fanclub, Kamilia. We will be working our hardest in order to make sure that the absolute support and love that Kamilias share with KARA, through all the joys and hardships, do not go waste.

We request that you extend your love and support once more to the five members of KARA, who are undergoing more difficulties through this ordeal than anyone else.

Thank you.”

–

Source: KARA’s Official Website

The producer behind KARA’s representative tracks (“Pretty Girl,” “Honey,” “Mister,” and “Lupin“) has expressed his opinion on the contract termination lawsuit filed by three members of the girl group.

On January 19th, composer Han Jae Ho wrote through his Twitter:

“It’s been a tiring day.  Last year, it was so fun and joyous being able to watch them go up step-by-step; each day was so full of energy. This year, we’re off to a rocky start. Just like how something good happens after something bad, something bad must happen after something good.

For me, I don’t believe the issue to be as severe as reports are making it out to be.  I believe that KARA will not be disbanding under any reason, and it’s so apparent that those five kids want to stick together.  Why must such reports be made?

Just a day ago, the members of KARA were working hard and having fun – they were all doing fine.  The ‘mass comm’ likes picking fights… Vigorous articles are flooding it now.

I believe that KARA isn’t KARA without five members.  If it’s not with all five, I refuse to work with anything regarding KARA.

I hope that today ends as a bad dream for something bigger and better, and I hope that we can dream of rising up once more, just like yesterday.”


Source: Newsen via Nate

cr: VITALSIGN @ allkpop


I agree with zoolander about what Gyuri knew. I feel sorry for everyone involved in this, including all of the Kamilias. Heck, I'm tired already from all the articles there are to read.

I just want simple KARA...

[thatonezombie]

Lets take it back to more enjoyable times.

[MochaNutz]

saw these. Apparently Seungyeon might fall back too.
http://www.allkpop.com/2011/01/karas-seungyeon-to-withdraw-contract-termination-request

Following Goo Hara, who previously canceled her contract termination, it seems that the possibility of Han Seungyeon reversing her decision is high.

A representative of DSP Media spoke with TV Report on January 20th and stated, “There’s a possibility of one of the three members that filed for contract terminations returning, so we are trying not to let go of the hope. Yesterday, we were planning to meet with another member right after Goo Hara to discuss with, but we weren’t able to reach contact so we couldn’t. Fortunately, we will be meeting again, and that member is Han Seungyeon.”

He continued, “Yesterday, Goo Hara and Han Seungyeon did not even know that they even filed for contract terminations and were extremely shocked with the news. The members may have discussed the issue for a while, but we don’t think they knew that it would be turned into a legal matter so quickly.”

with all this 'surprise', its starting to look like someone jumped the gun and filed this lawsuit on their behalf or something. there's something odd with the parents talking for them. But, its parents looking out for their kids, and i ain't mad at that. But yeah, we don't know much about it except what the media is saying, so... yeah.

[LaJon]

Yeah, it's getting to the point now where we're seeing multiple statements and responses each day.  Seems pretty blown out of proportion, but hopefully things can get settled soon.  I'd think that the longer this is strung out, the worse it will make things.

If KARA did disband, it's gonna be like this on an epic scale:

[A1]

I am still confused so did the girls themselves file for this or the parents? The only reason why I am asking this is because didn't somebody else withdraw from termination their contract.

[LaJon]

I am still confused so did the girls themselves file for this or the parents? The only reason why I am asking this is because didn't somebody else withdraw from termination their contract.

It was the members of KARA by way of their lawyers.  Couldn't really say if their parents pushed them into it or not, but it seems like the members of KARA came to their parents with these problems and then took action with their parent's support.

And yes, Gyuri and Hara have not withdrawn their contracts.  There's also heavy speculation that Seungyeon will reverse her decision as well.

[cecelialorene]

All of them signed on as a minor, so their parents signed for them.
I think that's when things got complicated. I think that the parents are using that as leverage maybe? Like, "we signed it, so we'll end it!"
i dont want to peg them as evil but the parents meeting sounds kinda scary.

[kuro808]

^ Understandably the parents must had been given a timetable on the success goals, but if it is a kneejerk reaction to where they are at, then it was the parents.  However, reading an article, it pretty much gave the main reason idols not lasting "forever" and there has to be a way to solve it, but hopefully it is a way to stop making a mess before it goes out into the public

[Deft-Monkey]

The parents' meeting:

The parents of KARA’s Nicole, Seungyeon, and Jiyoung are currently preparing to release statements on the hardships their daughters were forced to endure, as well as details regarding the alleged irrational income distribution by DSP Media.

The parents met in an emergency meeting on the afternoon of January 19th and revealed that representatives of DSP were trying to meet with each of the members in hopes for reconciliation.  Unfortunately, the parents revealed that it would be impossible for them to cancel their decision to terminate their contracts.

In an interview with Newsen, they claimed, “Right until the girls declared that they would be parting ways with the company, they continuously asked for clear and transparent income balances, as well as communication, but DSP refused the requests.  Why else do you think they would leave the company that raised them into who they are?”

The parents claimed that they requested for documents regarding the income the girls brought in in Japan, but the company delayed the sharing of such information with excuses such as, “There’s nothing balanced yet” and “Please wait until the appropriate time.“  When an opportunity for communication was finally opened, the company brought out balance documents that were difficult to understand, deepending the distrust between the two parties.

One member’s parents exclaimed, “Is such a contract that only gives $3,000 per person for dancing the ‘butt dance’ in Japan fair?“  They also revealed that the girls were put in saunas to sleep because of their busy drama filmings.

Another continued, “KARA released ‘Jumping‘ late last year, but there were barely any schedules for their Korean fans, and DSP Japan were busy working the girls to film ‘URAKARA‘ for their own profits.  There were a lot of unexplainable circumstances, such as the girls being put to sleep in a sauna one night.”

All three parents exclaimed, “The company is prospering with the income that is being made, while the kids are getting bloody noses from fatigue.  This reality cannot continue.”

Regarding members Park Gyuri and Goo Hara, who both are not taking part in the lawsuit, the parents revealed that Gyuri’s parents were “walking a different path from the other girls since three months ago,”  as Gyuri’s parents failed to show up at a parental meeting held last November.

Asked about the rumors of another entertainment agency offering the girls better contracts, they revealed, “We can’t say anything, as the parents don’t discuss such internal things.  What we’re sure is that the three members will not be able to repair their relationship with DSP.”

Source: Newsen via Nate

Seungyeon's father - a good guy:

The father of KARA’s Han Seungyeon revealed that he didn’t want his daughter’s group to disband through an interview on January 20th.

Reporters of TV Report visited his home in order to hear his side of the story, and although he refused the interview at first, he later agreed and stated, “First of all, although I knew that talks regarding their contracts were going on, I did not think that the issue would escalate to this level. Seungyeon has told me from time to time that she was tired, but I didn’t think much of it.”

He continued, “I received a phone call from Seungyeon on the 19th and all she did was cry. I think it was because things weren’t developing the way she had thought at first, and now that the issue is out of her hands, she was afraid to find a way to overcome it.”

When asked what he thought the members’ biggest problems were with DSP Media, he responded, “There’s a lot, but I think the main is that there’s no order. As much as KARA is being acknowledged for their efforts, the support isn’t following through.”

He further explained that the company would spontaneously schedule a B-level activity, and give up an A-level activity in order to fulfill their appearance on the B-level activity.


He also stated that the lawsuit is not because of ‘money problems’ or the rumors regarding a new agency offering them better contracts.  Han explained, “I don’t want to discuss monetary issues right now, as it isn’t even the proper time for that. If DSP is unjust, I’d rather they just end their contract as opposed to move to another agency.  It’s something that cannot happen.”

Han expressed his concerns for Kamilias, KARA’s fanbase, by stating, “How can a singer exist without fans? What’s most disappointing is that the members think importantly of their fans, but they’re receiving criticisms saying that they’ve lost their loyalty. I am unsure as to how to clarify that.”

He continued, “I once told Seungyeon to give up the chaotic entertainment industry and to just go back to studying. Whatever path is right, and whatever decision is the best, I just hope that the issue is resolved with wisdom.”

When asked what he thought the ‘right path’ was, he answered, “Doesn’t everyone know what the right path is? It’s for all five members to remain together. A lot of people compare the case to TVXQ, but KARA is still a beginner. Whether they stay together or leave, I don’t think it’s right to promote as separate groups. Whatever the case, I believe that they should remain together.”

Han concluded, “I think the priority right now is to figure out what exactly is the problem, and whether it’s something that can be fixed. I need to meet with the other parents to hear what they think. No matter what someone does, bringing something to a successful conclusion is a must, and as a parent, that is what’s most disappointing.”

Source: TV Report

DSP's response to Landmark's (the three girls' lawyers) claims:

DSP Media released another official statement refuting the claims made by representatives of KARA’s Nicole, Seungyeon, and Jiyoung.

On January 20th, they stated:

“We are making this announcement due to the second statement released by Landmark on January 19th.  Their statement distorted the truth, and we regard it as a matter of pity.

The claim about DSP Media fooling the members into signing exclusive contracts by having them sign what they believed were Japanese artist registration forms is absolutely groundless.  We brought together the parents in a meeting and provided them with the original copies of the consent forms in Japanese, along with a translated document.

In the case of Nicole’s mother, she personally confirmed the content of both the original copy and the translated copy before signing her name under the original Japanese copy, complying with the clause, ‘I am signing my name in full understanding of the translated copy.  I do not have responsibility over content that does not match the original.’

They completely understood the content of the contract before signing, making their original claim a distortion of the truth.

On their claims over how shopping mall, ‘Karaya,’ is being run by three members of KARA, this, once again, is groundless. When we first offered the members to take part in the shopping mall, we listened to their opinions and respected their decision.  Three members accepted the offer, proving that their accusations of exploiting members of KARA for profit is not the truth.

As for the income distribution, the KARA members receive 80% of the profits made by the company through the shopping mall.  Regarding the members’ putting their reputations at risk by modeling shirts featuring profanity, that act was not discussed with DSP Media prior to its run, which forced us to aggressively lodge complaints until we eventually received a confirmation document preventing the recurrence of such an event.

We hope that they restrict the reporting of distorted information, and we hope that the issue does not spread into anything bigger.  Should there be issues between both parties, adjustments and reconciliation should be the appropriate step in continuing to promote themselves as a representative girl group of Korea.”

–

Source: Newsen via Nate

cr: VITALSIGN @ allkpop

It seems that KARA is still bent on staying together, as it’s being reported that Hara and Gyuri are attempting to convince the other members to return to DSP Media.  The two have apparently expressed, “Our team cannot break up.”

A representative stated, “Hara and Gyuri both contacted the other members and told them that the team could/should not break up. [If we do], we’ll all fail together. I believe they’re trying to convince the other members by stressing the importance of staying as a group.”

A staff member of DSP stated, “If one member moves agencies, it’s highly likely that the others will reset contracts as well. They’re continuing to explain the misunderstandings.”

Source + Photo: Newsen

cr: elliefilet @ allkpop

Here's a more positive one:

The controversial contract termination saga continues, as the parents of three KARA members (Nicole, Han Seungyeon, and Kang Ji Young) revealed their official stance through their legal representative, Landmark.

On January 21st, Landmark stated, “The parents of the three KARA members came to our law firm and revealed that they would like KARA to remain as five.”

“The most important emphasis from the members’ perspective is KARA’s activities.  KARA’s parents want a professional management company they can trust, and the members want a relationship with an agency that is not hierarchal, but one that works around trust and integrity.”


The representative continued, “The current situation is a problem between the members and the agency, there are definitely no problems between the members themselves.”

Landmark also sent a message to DSP Media stating, “Stop trying to divide the members.”

-

The following is Landmark’s official press release:

“We want “KARA as five members”

On the evening of January 20th, the parents of the members who sent a termination notice of their exclusive contracts with DSP Media on January 19th (Jung Nicole, Kang Ji Young, Han Seung Yeon) met with our legal representative and agreed on the following stance.

1. Both the members of KARA and their parents would like “KARA as 5 members”.

The KARA members genuinely desire for KARA to stay as five members and continue with their activities as a five-membered group. There may be legal problems regarding their relationship with their agency, however, the members believe that their fundamental priority is to continue as five and promote as one team.

2. Both the members of KARA and their parents believe that “KARA’s current activities are the most important priority; the problem with their company is secondary.”

From the members’ perspective, the most important matter is “KARA’s activities”. To them, this is their primary priority, and the management company’s key role is to support their artists’ activities. The artists are not the company’s subordinate. This is the core issue.

3. Both the members of KARA and their parents “desire a management professional who they can trust.”

KARA has stated that they “would like a professional celebrity management company that can be the support of all of KARA’s talents and capabilities.” They believe that ‘trust’ and ‘expertise’ should be the tenets of any celebrity management company. In addition, the members do not want a vertical hierarchal relationship with their agency, but a horizontal cooperation based on trust and faith.

We have already pointed out many times that the current agency lacks both expertise and trust.

4. Both the members of KARA and their parents want “DSP Media to stop trying to divide the members immediately.”

KARA states, “The current situation is a problem between the members and the agency, there is definitely no problem between the members themselves. There is no discord between the members at all, but the company keeps intervening by calling the members personally and deliberately trying to divide the members. We truly want them to show integrity in their acts for the sake of the members.”

Lastly, KARA stated, “DSP Media’s “second official statement” on January 20th is meaningless. We have more evidence than they think.”

–

Source: Star News via Nate

I find it sad that DSP has to defend themselves on every little thing that's raised. It's understandable, but still sad:

It’s been reported that all five members of KARA are planning to sit down together and discuss the future of the group.

On January 20th, a representative of the company stated, “The members, including Goo Hara, will meet tonight to discuss the current situation. Goo Hara said, “I will meet with the members and find a way to reach a solution.” Ever since the rise of the situation, none of the members have been able to meet at one place for a discussion. Wouldn’t there be a breakthrough if the members talked face-to-face? Whatever happens, KARA will continue.”

Ever since Landmark revealed that Goo Hara, Han Seungyeon, Kang Jiyoung and Nicole were moving to terminate their contracts, the four members have been separated due to their personal activities. Han Seungyeon and Goo Hara had just returned to Korea from recording a New Year’s special program for SBS in Thailand, while Nicole was shooting SBS’s “Heroes“. Meanwhile, Kang Ji Young and Park Gyuri were said to have been at their own homes at the time of the notification release.

Upon arriving at Incheon Airport, Goo Hara received a phone call regarding the urgent situation and her face stiffened immediately.

It was reported that the member soon headed to the company office in Banpo, Seoul. “Goo Hara found us at the agency building on January 19th and expressed, “There was a misunderstanding. I didn’t know about any concrete details.” She came back again on the 20th and expressed her frustration, as she said, “I don’t know why this situation is turning into something different to what we really think.” The members themselves insisted to sleep at the sauna because it was too much of a hassle to go back to their dorms, so she was disappointed to see reports about the company mistreating them, amongst many other distorted facts.”

The company continued, “It’s really frustrating to read about us making the members sleep at saunas. The members said that they wanted to sleep there, but the manager tried to stop them because there were too many people. We understand that they underwent continuous filming. They’re making people think that the members are wandering from sauna to sauna without a dorm to stay in. In comparison to other groups, KARA is treated comfortably, and are even driven around in two exclusive vans.”

Source: JoongAng Daily via Nate

cr: VITALWARNING @ allkpop

I can't wait to hear the details on KARA's actual meeting.

[jaysonnj]

This might mean peace out, Nicole. Good luck working at your mom's restaurant.

A close industry representative of DSP Media revealed through TV Report on January 21st that both Seungyeon and Jiyoung have a high possibility of canceling their contract terminations. He stated, “It’s likely for them both to be staying with DSP. But with Nicole’s mother being regarded as the leader of this controversy, if worse comes to worst, Nicole will leave the group.”

He continued, “Because of this controversy, Nicole is bearing the brunt of the hate. Even if all five choose to remain together, it will be difficult for Nicole to further lead a normal career. There’s even ridiculous talks of Nicole being the ‘recall’.”

Leader Park Gyuri never participated in the lawsuit, while Hara dropped out moments after reports were made. With Seungyeon expected to follow the two, many are speculating for Jiyoung to return as well.

The problem remains with Nicole, as Nicole’s mother uploaded a series of tweets that referred to the KARA members as “her loving daughters” while bad mouthing DSP Media. After it grew into a controversy, they were promptly deleted. Hara herself also revealed that she had no idea about the contract terminations, leading many to doubt whether all of the members even agreed to this. The controversy surrounding Nicole’s mother being the cause of this entire lawsuit is further backed up by such evidence.

Netizens, as well as DSP Media, have already speculated Nicole’s mother to be the ringleader.

In TV Report’s first report, the identity of Nicole’s mother was left anonymous, but DSP Media went ahead with all three of their statements in calling out her mother directly.

Another representative close to DSP Media revealed, “Although they’re trying their absolute best in keeping the original members, if worse comes to worst, Nicole will be taken out of the group and a new member will be added to continue their promotions.”

The Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association is also expected to be raising the hand in DSP’s favor. A representative of DSP visited the KEPA on the afternoon of the 20th in order to discuss on the recent developments. The representative revealed that DSP and KEPA made an agreement in that the KEPA will not put blame on whatever decision or action DSP chooses to take.

Although representative of KEPA spoke regarding the issue on the 20th, he avoided any direct answers, “We confirm that a DSP representative visited our office, but it was regarding a substitute for CEO Lee Hoyeon in receiving his ‘achievement award,’ as he is currently hospitalized. Since the KARA controversy is what it is, discussion regarding the controversy was inevitable.”

KARA’s Nicole, Seungyeon, and Jiyoung will be giving their personal opinions at a press conference with Landmark at 3 PM KST on January 21st.

Source: TV Report via Nate

[kuro808]

Wow this is going to get really interesting, better get some stuff ready to burn, although if it is the case, I feel bad already that the parents are the main cause of this rather than the members

[Deft-Monkey]

It's looking like this will be pretty shortlived, depending on whether Seungyeon, Jiyoung and Nicole withdraw their contract terminations. Although it also looks like there's room for some damage. I wonder what will be achieved by the end of this?

[Deft-Monkey]

So soon after her birthday, Hara's great aunt passes away.

http://www.allkpop.com/2011/01/kara-goo-haras-great-aunt-passes-away

I hope she'll be surrounded by family and will have tremendous emotional support, especially during this time.