On March 25, Pledis Entertainment revealed an official statement through their legal representative to announce that they had filed a lawsuit against former PRISTIN member Kyulkyung for a breach of contract.

Read a full translation of the statement below:

Hello, this is lawyer Kim Moon Hee of law firm Jipyong, representing Kyulkyung’s agency Pledis Entertainment (hereafter Pledis).

On February 19, Pledis filed a lawsuit against Kyulkyung to the Seoul Central District Court to confirm the validity of her exclusive contract with the agency. Here is Pledis’s official statement.

1. Kyulkyung signed an exclusive contract with Pledis in 2015 and promoted as part of I.O.I, PRISTIN, and the unit group PRISTIN V. She entered the Chinese market and appeared as a fixed cast memeber on the first season of Jiangsu Television’s “Crazy Wardrobe” and on iQIYI’s variety show “Idol Producer” as a mentor. Pledis and her Chinese management company XCSS Entertainment have managed her activities in the Chinese entertainment industry by having her appear on ‘Idol Producer,” one of the turning points in her career, and Youku’s drama “Miss Truth.” We have provided her with all of the support she needed to grow into a great artist who is acknowledged in both Korea and China.

2. However, in early September of 2019, Kyulkyung unilaterally sent a baseless notice of termination via mail, email, and an instant messenger, and she is avoiding any communication with the employees of Pledis and XCSS Entertainment.

3. Since then, Kyulkyung has been excluding Pledis and independently appearing on dramas, variety shows, and advertisements in China and thus promoting in the entertainment field very actively while violating our exclusive contract. Therefore, we are in a position in which we must take legal action by taking measures such as a lawsuit to confirm the validity of our exclusive contract with Kyulkyung. XCSS Entertainment has already filed lawsuits in China requesting that she carry out the exclusive contract and to demand compensation.

4. For the duration of the exclusive contract, Pledis has provided all of the support we could to help her promote actively in Korea and China. It is unfortunate to have to share such news with fans and the public.

Although the situation leaves us with no choice but to take legal action, Pledis will continue to work hard to restore our trust with Kyulkyung, to reach an amicable agreement and end the dispute, and to speedily carry out activities for Kyulkyung in the entertainment field. Thank you.