Mediation Fails As SM Entertainment Files Lawsuit Against Former EXO Singer Kris And His Chinese Employers

It is looking increasingly unlikely that the mandatory mediation that 22-year-old former EXO member Kris and the group's label SM Entertainment were ordered to pursue by a Seoul Central District Court judge in June of last year is going to work.

On Thursday, SM Entertainment executives released a statement, promptly posted to the Korean entertainment website allkpop, revealing that their plans to pursue legal action in China against Kris, whose real name is Wu Yifan, along with anyone who has hired him for a role or an endorsement deal.

"SM Entertainment has now officially filed a lawsuit against Kris and the advertisement companies and movie production companies who have employed Kris for his illegal activities," the statement read.

"The lawsuit has been registered on July 30 at the Beijing court."

The label's latest round of legal action is yet another indicator of the deep animosity between the label and the departing members of EXO, in what has been a highly contentious public fight between the musicians and their label.

After Kris sued the label for contract termination in May of 2014, band member Luhan, 25, followed suit five months later. Tao's future with EXO is also currently unknown. The 22-year-old vocalist has officially been on a hiatus from EXO due to health problems since April, though his first solo album "T.A.O." was released in China on July 23.

Thursday's press release from SM displayed little love lost between the label and their former golden boys.

"After one-sidedly filing a lawsuit against the agency in May 2014, Kris left without notice and has been illegally appearing in various movies, advertisements and at events and awards ceremonies using the recognition he has gained through EXO," the SM Entertainment statement read.

"These activities have infringed the rights of the EXO members and SM and have caused great financial harm to us and our partners. This is not only an abuse of the system, but also an unethical move that has betrayed the trust of this company and the other members."

Back in May, SM Entertainment pursued a similar legal tactic against Luhan and the producers and advertising sponsors who hired him. Four months earlier, in an interview with ELLE China, it was clear that the strain of taking on the Hallyu powerhouse label was getting to the pop star.

"If I could go back to when I was 20 years old, I probably would choose another path of life," he said. "Perhaps I would not choose this path of being an artist again. Maybe I would have chosen to become a soccer player."

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