Bang Min-soo, formerly of TEEN TOP, has ended his exclusive contract with Air Global Castle (formerly Modenberry Korea). On the 22nd, the agency stated, “The exclusive contract ended in November last year by mutual agreement,” adding that it is “unrelated to Bang Min-soo’s efforts to establish an idol union and his political activities.”
Bang Min-soo debuted in 2010 with TEEN TOP and gained popularity with hits like “Fragrance” and “Insane.” However, he left the group in May 2023 following a controversy involving smoking, drinking, and swearing on his personal YouTube channel, stating that “idol life had not suited him for a long time.”
After leaving the entertainment industry, he made headlines for earning over 1 million won a month with a daily wage of 70,000 won doing grass-cutting work. He later signed an exclusive contract with the agency in February last year, appearing in web variety shows and advertisements.
The agency mentioned that Bang Min-soo is currently serving as the chairman of the Idol Labor Union Establishment Preparatory Committee. The committee filed a union establishment report with the Seongnam branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor in September last year and submitted additional documents in October to be recognized as “workers” under labor law. It was also revealed that about 10 current idols, including singer Ailee, expressed their intention to participate.
At the time, the committee’s goals included guaranteeing a minimum living wage for idols, expanding enrollment in the four major social insurance programs, and providing legal action, deletion requests, and lawsuit support from agencies in cases of damage from malicious comments.
According to the company, the contract had already ended by November 7 of last year, which is when the announcement of the union chairman was made.
The agency added, “The termination of the contract is unrelated to any political reasons, and we ask that you refrain from over-interpreting the situation.”
