Korean news outlets reported that Kang Daniel had asked to terminate his contract with his current agency LM Entertainment. In a call with news outlet SPOTV News, LM Entertainment stated, “It is true that we received a certification of contents, but it was a request to modify clauses in the contract, not to terminate it. We are currently discussing the modification of the contract’s clauses.”^[soompi]

An hour after news of the dispute broke out, Sports Chosun [Reporter Baek Jieun 백지은] released a highly controversial article with claims that could potentially harm Daniel’s image (contents of the article hidden below). Immediately, fans noticed the article’s date of creation is February 21 and modified on March 3, raising suspicions of the validity of the information and questioning whether the article was planned beforehand.

Daniel issued a statement in Korean and English in a fancafe post, denying false rumors and promising that he would open a personal Instagram account on March 4 at 12 PM.

Prior to Kang Daniel creating his new Instagram account, Sports Seoul [Reporter Lee Jiseok 석기자] published an article about the consequences of cancelled fan meetings if the dispute doesn’t reach an agreement soon.

Kang Daniel opened his personal Instagram account @daniel.k.here at 12 PM KST, uploading three photos with the caption, “Hello. It’s been so long.”

On the same day, suspicious accounts created recently started to spam both Daniel’s official fancafe and Twitter, requesting him to settle with LM Entertainment. Fans reacted by using similar images but with supportive messages. International fans started the Instagram support project “We Are Here, Daniel.”

On Twitter, fans started a daily hashtag project using #ForeverWithDaniel, #WeTrustDaniel and #BeYourselfDaniel. The first two hashtags trended worldwide in 1st and 4th place respectively on March 4.

Also, according to LM’s tip to a tabloid site in April, another certificate of contents was sent to LM on March 4, 2019 through Yulchon.

On March 5, the idol’s legal representative told Yonhap News, “We’re currently doing a legal review. We will do our best so that this has no effect on Kang Daniel’s promotions in the entertainment industry.” When asked if they’re considering the possibility that this may turn into a legal battle, the representative replied, “We’re in the middle of a legal review, so it’s difficult to respond to that.”

It’s reported by Yonhap News that Kang Daniel sent the certification of contents to his agency LM Entertainment on February 1. It is said to have included the stipulation that if the requested changes to his contract and negotiations did not happen by February 28, it would be considered that his contract has been terminated.^{[s] [soompi]}

Sports Seoul [Reporter Lee Jiseok 석기자] released a questionable article with KEPA and KMF siding with LM Entertainment.

The full title of Sports Seoul’s article also became associated to Daniel’s name as the top related search term.

(Note: Full article titles do not become search terms because people don’t search for something they know or have already read about.)

After much backlash, the associations did not acknowledge the previously reported statements.

KEPA is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and is composed of 408 companies of the entertainment industry that are specialized in music, performance, and management.^{[s] [soompi]}
(Note: LM Entertainment is actually not part of this association but MMO is.)

The association released the following statement:

On March 7, it was revealed that Kang Daniel appointed lawyer Seon Jongmoon (Sun & Partners), who was a lawyer and legal representative for several legal disputes in the entertainment industry. Some of his clients were Kim Hyunjoong’s ex-girlfriend in her paternity dispute with the singer and MADTOWN in their conflict with their agency.

Lawyer Seon Jongmoon is currently communicating with LM Entertainment on Kang Daniel’s behalf, and on March 7 he told news outlet Xportsnews, “The discussion has not advanced since the day the certification of contents was sent. I have nothing else to tell you at this point.”^{[s] [soompi]}

Kang Daniel’s legal representative Seon Jongmoon stated, “Kang Daniel wants to resolve [the conflict] with his agency as smoothly as possible so that he can resume his promotions.” The lawyer further said that the idol is not considering filing a lawsuit against his agency yet.^{[s] [soompi]}

On March 8, SPOTV News [Reporter Kang Hyojin 강효진] released an article and video through STARK, claiming that Kang Daniel fans have been divided and many request him to settle with his company.

The article provoked much outrage among Kang Daniel fans who have been diligently showing their support for the idol since news of the dispute first broke out.

Twitter user prince__danik went a step further by making an interesting analysis of why fans were so angry. First, she pointed out how new fancafe members with a Level 2 status (Note: level up applications ended on January 31) spammed the cafe with settlement requests from March 4 until March 7-8. Some of them deleted all of their comments right after the fan opinion article was released. This raises the question whether the spamming was planned only to take screenshots for an article and make the public believe that Kang Daniel “fans” side with the company instead of him.

To further prove her point, the fan also shared Google graphs tracking the 3 hashtags for a week. The first hashtag is the #KangDaniel_Settle hashtag reported by SPOTV News, and the other two are the hashtags fans have been using since day one to show support.

Notice how the settlement hashtag was hardly used and only used in Korea.

You can check prince__danik’s full Twitter thread here.

On the March 11 broadcast of MBC’s Section TV, Kang Daniel’s lawyer appeared on the program to deliver updates on the singer and his dispute with his agency LM Entertainment.

During the show, lawyer Seon Jongmoon clarified Kang Daniel and Seungri’s relationship by saying, “It’s not true at all. [Kang Daniel] has not met Seungri privately, and he has never been to the club BS.” He continued, “There have been about two Wanna One concerts, and Seungri merely attended as a [senior artist]. We’re currently checking the contents of the rumors, and we will take legal actions after making necessary arrangements.”^{[s] [soompi]}

This is in reference to the article posted on March 3, 2019 (7:16 PM): Sports Chosun Reports False Accusations.

On March 12, news outlet Sports Seoul reported that Kang Daniel has not been included in this year’s KCON lineups yet. KCON is CJ ENM’s global K-pop convention. Kang Daniel’s name was reportedly not found on any of the May through September lineups, although several other former members of Wanna One were included.

[Reporter Lee Jiseok 석기자] An industry source shared, “From CJ ENM’s position, there is no reason to exclude Kang Daniel from this event. His dispute with his agency must have affected the casting process. There is a high possibility that Kang Daniel will be included once the problem is resolved somehow. From Kang Daniel’s point of view as well, [KCON] is the optimal place for him to show his presence to global fans, so it will be a big loss for him if he doesn’t participate in it.”

Sports Seoul further reported that Kang Daniel and LM Entertainment had planned for a global fan meeting tour in May and that preparations had mostly been made already. If Kang Daniel’s conflict with LM ends up in court and the fan meetings don’t happen, a big issue will revolve around the compensation for damages to the agencies and local companies involved in the fan meeting preparations.^{[s] [soompi]}

(Note: According to Kang Daniel fans who called KCON’s department in Korea, they were told nothing is confirmed for the KCON 2019 lineups yet. It’s also interesting to mention that this is the third article with a negative tone written by reporter Lee Jiseok from Sports Seoul.)

(Note: In addition, LM staff members were found to be Instagram friends with reporters writing negative articles. Some of those reporters were Lee Jiseok and Jeon Won. After fans found out, Lee Jiseok put his Instagram on private, and the LM co-director Noh Hyunjun deleted his account.^{[s] [s]} Lee Jiseok also stopped writing negative articles after this until LM released their statement on March 26. The Sports Seoul reporter covered the news using the same photo of Daniel as in his previous articles. The LM CEO Gil Jonghwa was also found to be  Instagram friends with Lee Jiseok.^[s])

eDaily News [Reporter Kim Eunkoo 김은구] published a negative article repeating the same false accusations reported by Sports Seoul on March 3.^[s]

On March 14, SBS funE [Reporter Kang Kyungyoon 강경윤] exclusively reported that Kang Daniel has chosen experienced law firm Yulchon as his legal representative.

The report stated that Kang Daniel requested law firm Yulchon to represent him in the legal battle against his agency, LM Entertainment. Lawyer Yeom Yongpyo who became in charge of the case said, “Kang Daniel is extremely apologetic to fans about the ongoing matter, and he is showing willingness to conclude the dispute as quickly as possible so that he can return to fans.” He continued, “We will also try our best to settle the ongoing conflict in a timely manner.”^{[s] [soompi]}

(Note: Kang Kyungyoon is the highly regarded reporter who initially reported the KakaoTalk chatrooms, and she exclusively wrote this positive article about Daniel.)

On March 18, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported that LM Entertainment had registered to trademark Yoon Jisung’s name, stylized in English as “YOON JISUNG,” on February 12. The media outlet inferred that the company did not apply for the trademark of Kang Daniel’s name due to their current dispute.

YTN Star explained that although an agency has the right to apply for the trademark of its artist’s name, it rarely does so. This is because it can be seen as restricting the artist’s ability to promote freely. It also added that in the case that Yoon Jisung transfers agencies in the future, there would be complications when he used his name, as LM Entertainment may own the rights to the trademark “YOON JISUNG.”^{[s] [soompi]}

Later in the day, LM Entertainment confirmed the news and revealed, “We are in the stages of applying for the trademark of Yoon Jisung’s name.”^[s]

On March 19, Daniel filed the injunction at the Seoul Central District Court to suspend his contract after LM’s aggressive media play and unwillingness to negotiate.^{[s] [soompi]}

On March 17, ELLE Korea unexpectedly changed all of the magazine’s SNS headers to Daniel’s image and included a preview of Daniel’s cover image in the schedule and subscription pages. ELLE later removed the images and stated the April issue’s cover would officially be revealed March 20.^[s]

On March 20, Kang Daniel was officially revealed as ELLE Korea‘s April issue cover model for Louis Vuitton along with Bae Doona.^{[s] [s]} ELLE Korea linked Daniel’s personal Instagram @daniel.k.here instead of the account managed by LM in ELLE’s Instagram post.

At 4:42 PM, Hankyung Dot Com [Reporter Kim Soyeon 김소연] reported that after the release of the picture, an official of Kang Daniel’s agency said, “The image was taken before the dispute.”^[s]

On March 21, Kang Daniel applied for the suspension of his exclusive contract with LM Entertainment.

His legal representative shared the following statement:

On [March] 21, singer Kang Daniel’s legal representative Yulchon LLC submitted an application to the Seoul Central District Court for an injunction against LM Entertainment for the suspension of his exclusive contract.

Yulchon lawyer Yeom Yongpyo (head of sports entertainment conflict department), who is in charge of this case, revealed, “Without the prior consent of Kang Daniel, LM Entertainment signed joint business contracts that sell Kang Daniel’s exclusive contract rights to third parties. The application for injunction was submitted as [LM Entertainment] completely breached [the terms of] his contract.”

He explained, “The decision for injunction is typically determined quickly in approximately one to two months, and if [the request] is accepted, Kang Daniel can immediately begin independent activities in the entertainment industry.”

He added, “Kang Daniel feels bad that the incident has become a legal [matter] and expresses his deep apologies to the fans who cherish him. He shared his hopes for the incident to be resolved as quickly as possible.”^{[s] [soompi]}

(Note: At 11:15 AM, Sports Chosun reporter Baek Jieun 백지은, the same reporter who published the initial false accusations article, reported that LM’s side is also making legal preparations. In response to the one to two month decision period, Baek insinuated that the battle could be longer if the injunction application is rejected.^[s])

On May 18 at 9 AM, Star News [Reporter Yoon Sanggeun 윤상근] reported that Daniel’s side filed a contract termination lawsuit against LM on March 21. Daniel filed an injunction for the suspension of his contract a couple days prior on March 19.^{[s] [eng]}

(Note: The contract termination decision may come sooner than expected since Daniel and his legal team were confident and filed for contract termination even before the result of the injunction hearing.)

Reporter Park Seyeon 박세연 published another negative article about Daniel’s “poisonous and hard solo journey” while putting the blame on him. According to Park, an official said main reasons why entertainers request contract termination is due to mistreatment and then calls Kang Daniel’s request as “unusual.” The reporter also wrote that Daniel would have to start over his album preparations due to the LM situation.^[s]

At 8 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Kim Yeonji 김연지] wrote that Kang Daniel changed his phone number and suspended contact with his celebrity contacts. He also did not participate in Wanna One’s KakaoTalk chatroom. According to an insider, Kang Daniel has not resolved his dispute with his agency yet. He did not want to propagate further rumors or have his side misinterpreted. He has naturally been unable to contact his friends, which is expected to continue until his agency situation is resolved.^[s]

At 10:25 AM, SPOTV [Reporter Kang Hyojin 강효진] also reported that Daniel had moved all his belongings from his company’s premises before he sent his certification of contents to his agency supposedly to minimize direct contact and prevent leaked information.^[s]

Kim Munhee from law firm Jipyong relayed LM Entertainment’s statement on the injunction application and subsequent suspension of Kang Daniel’s contract.

(Note: Here is a recommended thread that counters LM’s statement. Daniel’s legal representative Seon Jongmoon’s phone call interview details are also translated.)

Kang Daniel’s legal representative refuted LM’s claims that the agency did not breach the contract. Lawyer Yeom Yongpyo from law firm Yulchon revealed Daniel signed a contract with LM on February 2, 2018, a year before the contract went into effect on February 2, 2019. However, on January 28, 2019, LM signed a joint business contract that sold Daniel’s exclusive rights (including content creation and management rights) to a third party. Those core rights include rights to produce and distribute musical content, concert and international business rights and negotiation rights regarding Daniel’s activities in the entertainment industry.

LM also received a down payment from the third party that is ten times the amount the agency paid Daniel for signing the contract (Note: Soompi misreported triple). However, Kang Daniel did not receive any explanation in advance regarding the signing and the context of the joint business contract nor did he give his consent.

Kang Daniel later found out that LM Entertainment, whom he trusted, signed a joint business contract with a third party without his consent, and the legal battle began when the singer requested the agency to make corrections regarding this.

In order to smoothly solve the conflicts, Kang Daniel made numerous requests to LM Entertainment for corrections of the illegal and unfair events that are stated above, but he failed to hear back a positive response and decided to appeal for the court’s decision.

Yulchon is expecting the truth of this case to be revealed clearly through questioning of the contract suspension, and Kang Daniel is currently expressing his desire for reasonable results to come out so that he can return to the arms of fans as quickly as possible.^{[s] [soompi]}

(Note: Part of the secret joint enterprise contract that Daniel’s side revealed can be found here. A summary of the clauses is included below.

Here’s a thread on why is it a problem to transfer rights to a third party. What would result is basically a slave contract.)

LM plans to take legal action against Daniel’s side for exposing and revealing the 3rd party contract. LM claims Daniel was aware of the contract between LM and MMO.

(Note: LM did not say Daniel gave his consent. Furthermore, there is no specific law as to how evidence is acquired in civil cases. Any evidence can and will be accepted as evidence.^[s])

Later that day, LM’s Instagram account @official_lm_ent was inexplicably removed.

LM released a new statement. Before LM denied the 3rd party transfer contract. LM later said the contract was an investment contract. In this statement, LM claimed the decision was a joint venture.

LM’s Instagram account @official_lm_ent is back online.

At 1:48 PM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported that LM said there’s an understanding that investors require information, but they claim they didn’t know how much consent was needed.^[s]

On the prior day, an LM official claimed they didn’t know how much consent was needed. At 9:41 AM, YTN Star Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈, the same reporter of the previous consent report, published an article about LM’s changed statement. Despite Daniel’s lawyer revealing that the 3rd party contract had a clause requiring written consent, LM’s lawyer Kim Munhee told YTN Star that written consent was not needed. Kim also claimed MMO is only investing, and LM is solely exercising artist rights. Some of the investment was used in Jisung’s activities.^[s]

(Note: A refutation to LM’s recent statement made on the 28th can be read here. The rebuttal against LM and other lawyers’ professional opinions can be read here. Lawyers think the contract does not look like an investment contract.^[eng] An explanation of the contract and its ramifications can be read here.)

Dispatch [Reporters Kim Suji and Kim Jiho 김수지·김지호] released an exclusive report but did not delve into the main issue: selling Daniel’s exclusive rights to a third party without his consent. Please read this translation by all_in_daniel_k for a rebuttal against Dispatch’s article sourced from Pann.

Reporter Lee from Gobal News discussed Dispatch’s aggressive media play in his YouTube video. Here is a summary.

(Note: It is typical for agencies to provide housing. LM did not gift an apartment to Daniel and Jisung. LM just provided the deposit, which the company will receive after the lease is over due to Korea’s jeonse. Also, LM CEO Gil lives in a rented house, but the lease contract is under MMO. On July 26, 2018, a couple days before Wanna One’s Hong Kong concert dates, Daniel and Minhyun were spotted sightseeing together all day. Daniel had a V LIVE in Wanna One’s hotel with staff on watch. Dispatch withheld and released unrelated information to push LM’s side. Hours after Dispatch’s one-sided article, Roy Kim’s misconduct was revealed. Kim is a Stone Music artist whom some LM staff members help manage.)

At 12:25 PM, Star News [Reporter Lee Jeongho 이정호] reported Daniel’s side. Kang Daniel’s lawyer Yeom Yongpyo commented, “We do not plan on releasing a separate statement or press release regarding the reports from this morning. We will not respond to every single claim made by the other party.”

The lawyer added, “The major issue in this conflict is whether LM Entertainment sold Kang Daniel’s exclusive contract rights to a third party. We hope that the truth will be revealed at the questioning on April 5. Please look forward to the result.”^{[s] [soompi] [eng]}

At 12:50 PM, SBS funE reporter Kang Kyungyoon 강경윤 also covered Daniel’s side.^[s]

At 12:47 PM, Sports Kyunghyang published Daniel’s lawyer’s reiteration.

“The truth will be revealed at court.

Before anything, the questioning for the injunction is expected to take place on April 5. As the truth will be revealed during the process of questioning, I think that it is not desirable for me to respond to the opponent’s claims one by one at this point.

The key point of this injunction request is whether or not LM Entertainment transferred rights of the exclusive contract with Kang Daniel to a third party without his consent and received compensation. I think the truth will be clear on this part.

Not only is it unfortunate that this problem had to go to court, but Kang Daniel also feels very regretful and apologetic to the fans that this unnecessary controversy was amplified.”^{[s] [soompi]}

While Daniel’s lawyers were confident about the upcoming court hearing, LM applied for a court transfer two days before the actual injunction hearing in an attempt to delay.

At 11:16 AM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported that the court hearing originally scheduled for April 5 at 2 PM will be postponed. The Department of Justice decided to postpone the date to question the validity of Kang Daniel’s request for an injunction against his agency. It is suspected that LM Entertainment made a request for the case to be transferred to a different court, thus resulting in the postponement of the date. The Department of Justice will be reviewing the request to make the final decision.^{[s] [eng] [soompi]}

(Note: It’ll take around 2-7 business days for the court to make a decision whether to transfer.^[s] Here is a thread explaining reasons why LM placed a transfer request to a different court.)

At 3:20 PM, Sports Today [Reporter Kim Nayeon 김나연] reported that Yulchon said it was true LM requested to postpone the interrogation on the 5th and is confirming the reason. The modified date will be designated later.

Yulchon emphasized that the main point of the injunction is whether or not contract rights were transferred to third parties without Daniel’s prior consent. Yulchon added that they’re certain it’s true.^{[s] [eng]}

On March 26, Daniel’s law firm Yulchon revealed questioning would take place on April 5 at 2 PM KST at the Seoul Central District Court. The grounds for the injunction request are that LM Entertainment signed joint business contracts to transfer Kang Daniel’s exclusive rights to a third party without his consent.^[soompi]

On April 4, it was revealed that the questioning will reportedly be postponed so that a decision about LM’s request can be made.

At 9:34 AM, Money Today [Reporter Song Minkyung (attorney) 송민경] published an article regarding LM’s transfer request. “Jurisdiction” is the term for a certain court handling a particular case. If LM’s transfer request is accepted, this will not affect the outcome of the trial but will have inconveniences associated with moving. If Kang Daniel’s injunction is granted, Daniel can carry out his entertainment activities independently from LM until the final outcome of a lawsuit.^{[s] [eng]}

At 2:33 PM, Sports Donga [Reporter Lee Haeri 이해리] wrote that Hope Bridge Nationwide Disaster Relief Association said many Kang Daniel fans voluntarily donated to help victims of the Gangwon-do wildfire since early morning. Fans were not directed or enforced by anyone. 2.2k+ donations in Daniel’s name were made with a total of 74+ million won.^{[s] [s] [eng]}

At 6:08 PM, Money Today [Reporter Song Minkyung (attorney) 송민경] speculated that LM likely requested a trial transfer from Seoul Central District Court to Western District Court in consideration of LM’s address in Seoul’s Mapo-gu. Jipyong, the law firm representing LM, is located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul and is closer to Western District Court. The court is required to make a decision after hearing the transfer request. The reporter said LM’s transfer application was reasonably plausible, and it seems possible the case will be transferred. Entertainment lawyer Song Hyemi said if the trial date changes, it takes about a month. Current trials are scheduled around mid-May, so the re-allocated hearing could be at the end of May if LM’s transfer is accepted.^{[s] [eng]}

(Note: LM revealed on February 14 that the lawsuit against malicious comments was filed at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.^[s] On February 12, LM provided a Gangnam address for fan support. Fans discovered it was an empty office located above a restaurant.^[s]

Despite LM having a Mapo address, business has been conducted in a different Gangnam location. Jisung’s trademark address is in Gangnam.^[s] Fans surmised that Daniel’s January 21 pre-filmed videos and Insta live, Daniel’s February 1 V LIVE and Jisung’s Valentine’s Day V LIVE were all filmed in the same company building. An LM staff member [who originally had Lime Music on his profile] posted the office’s interior back in late 2018 on Instagram. Daniel said in his V LIVE that he was in the Gangnam office [4:33, 47:57]. Some speculated that the Gangnam office that LM uses is Lime Music’s.)

At 12:03 AM, it was reported through general media that Daniel donated 30 million won to help Gangwon-do relief efforts. Combined with his fandom’s donations, 150+ million won was donated in his name.^{[s] [eng]}

At 9:32 AM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported Mr. A from Gwangju attempted to register a “KANG DANIEL” trademark on March 15 for two categories related to programs/software and entertainment-related business. Kang Daniel’s side and LM denied any affiliation with Mr. A. Daniel’s side is making internal preparations to take action, while LM stated, “We are currently unable to apply for trademarks related to Kang Daniel. As we are in conflict with Kang Daniel’s side, our management related to his entertainment activities has been completely suspended.” The agency added, “‘A’ is not anyone of our party. We do not know who this person is.”^{[s] [soompi]}

At 10:36 AM, Xports News [Reporter Jeon Won 전원] reported that Mr. A submitted a patent withdrawal application on April 8 and reconfirmed that Daniel’s activities have been suspended.^[s]

(Note: Following the trademark news, Daniel’s donation was not exclusively covered in the Naver entertainment section.)

A fan contacted Hope Bridge since Daniel’s name was missing from articles about celebrity donations. The staff member in charge said when celebrities donate, their company informs them typically by phone. Because Daniel isn’t in contact with his agency, he quietly donated 30 million won.^[eng]

The Louis Vuitton Twist bag pop-up store campaign headed by Kang Daniel and Bae Doona had a VIP evening event prior to the official opening on April 11 (Doona attended but Daniel did not). The store will run until April 24.^[s]

MMO’s Instagram account @mmoent.official inexplicably followed then unfollowed Daniel’s personal Instagram @daniel.k.here.^{[s] [s]}

At 10:17 AM, Newsen [Reporter Hwang Hyejin 황혜진] reported the Korea Management Union (Note: also known as Korea Management Federation [KMF], who previously sided with LM in an earlier article) released a statement implicitly siding with the company.^[soompi]

(Note: The KMF is a union for managers with 4+ years of experience and is not a legal body. LM’s employees Noh Hyunjun, Gil Jonghwa and Jung Chunyoung are members.^[s])

At 4:04 PM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported the rescheduled court hearing is now April 24. The reporter later added that Seoul Central District Court ruled it had jurisdiction and rejected LM’s two written requests for a court transfer.^{[s] [eng] [soompi]}

(Note: This article was edited later to include that Seoul Central District Court had jurisdiction and LM’s attempts were rejected. Soompi translated the initial news before the edits. Leading up to and following the rescheduled court date news, a large influx of news about the KMF statement flooded the Naver entertainment section. 70+ KMF statement articles were released that day, and 30+ were released after the court date news was reported.^[s])

At 4:54 PM, Yonhap News revealed the time of the injunction hearing was 3:30 PM. This time was only included as the last sentence in an article about KMF’s statement. YTN Star did not report the time.

At 6:23 PM, Sports Chosun [Reporter Kim Yeongrok 김영록] confirmed that LM attempted to transfer the case to Western District Court due to LM’s Mapo address, but Seoul Central District Court denied LM’s attempts. Daniel’s Yulchon lawyer Yeom Yongpyo stated the sentence timing is decided by the court, and it is not appropriate for them to influence the trial. He stated the new questioning date is set up for April 24.^{[s] [eng] [eng]})

On April 23 at 3:19 PM, Money Today [Reporter Song Minkyung (attorney) 송민경] released an article revealing Daniel submitted a written statement on April 19 for the upcoming injunction hearing.^[s]

The support hashtags that won OurDaniel’s suggestions poll were #StandByDaniel (3 – 4:30 PM KST) for the court hearing and #OurChoiceDaniel (7:30 – 9 PM KST) for The Fact Music Awards since fans won awards for Daniel.^{[s] [s]} The organizer said they’ll give the trophies to him since he couldn’t attend.^{[s] [s]}

The hashtags trended in various countries. #StandByDaniel trended worldwide.^[s]

On April 12, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported the rescheduled court hearing would be on April 24 at Seoul Central District Court. Yonhap News reported the hearing time was 3:30 PM. The court will decide when the outcome of the injunction hearing will be determined.

Both sides presented their arguments at the Seoul Central District Court in an open court. Daniel was not physically present, but his written statement was relayed. The court also substituted the investor discourse with a written explanation. The judge even told LM to stop with the conspiracy theories.^[s]

Daniel’s side stated, “[Gil Jonghwa] is also leading the development of malicious media play. As trust was already broken, it is difficult to maintain the contractual relationship.”^[s]

Despite LM being founded in 2018, LM claimed to have supported Daniel since 2015 and denied damaging Daniel’s name. LM’s side also claimed they did not properly explain the contract and will do so in the future.^{[s] [s] [s]}

When LM’s side asked if Daniel would keep the contract if LM cancelled the joint business contract with MMO, Daniel’s side stated, “Even if the joint business contract is cancelled, we won’t keep the exclusive contract as the trust is broken.”^[s]

The court allotted one week for Daniel’s side to submit additional evidence by May 1. LM submitted 80 pages of information, so the court told LM to remove the redundancies. LM was given until May 8 to resubmit.^[s]

At 5:41 PM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] published Daniel’s message to fans through his legal representative. He said, “First, I thank all of my fans for showing me lots of attention and love. It’s sad that I wasn’t able to spend time [with fans] for such a long time, but I came all this way thinking that I want to take the right path, even if it takes a bit longer. I will make sure not to fall short of the expectations of my fans, who are trusting me until the end.”^{[s] [soompi]}

At 8 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Hwang Jiyoung 황지영] used questionable social media sources as the basis of her article. According to those social media posts, Daniel reportedly left in mid-April to meet a famous producer in Los Angeles.^[eng]

(Note: The rumors originated from Chinese sites and were spread around by his antis. Just one day after LM’s loss, this media play article was published using rumors that were already discredited in early April.)

At 4:42 PM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported Daniel’s lawyer’s statement in response to rumors of Daniel working on new music. One of his representatives stated to YTN Star, “We checked with him personally about whether the reports were true. He is not preparing for any official promotions in the entertainment industry, such as working on new music.”^{[s] [soompi]}

The court decided May 1 is the deadline for Daniel’s side to submit additional evidence for review.^[s]

The court decided May 8 is the deadline for LM’s side to cut down their original 80 page submission and submit additional evidence for review.^[s]

(Note: An outside attorney believes that a second hearing would not be needed. He added in his YouTube comment that a court decision usually appears after a month or so following the additional written submissions.^{[s] [s]}

Judge Park Beomseok [박범석] is the judge for the injunction and has a reputation of being a discreet and reasonable person who reviews documents very thoroughly. He will make a decision after May 8 after reviewing the submissions.^[s] At the 56th Law Day ceremony on April 25, he previously stated that when LM tried to explain what happened behind the scenes, he tried to focus on the core of the dispute, saying, “I received the data in writing, so I will only consult that.”^[s])

The Celuv [Reporter Lee Wonseon 이원선] at 6:35 PM and Top Star News [Reporter Lee Jeongbeom 이정범] at 6:41 PM broke the news that the court sided with Daniel to suspend the exclusive contract with LM. Kang Daniel’s legal representative Yulchon released an official statement:

“Hello.

This is lawyer Yeom Yongpyo of Yulchon LLC, the legal representative of singer Kang Daniel.

On March 19, Kang Daniel filed an injunction to the Seoul District Court to suspend his exclusive contract with his agency, and on May 10, the courts have reached the verdict to accept his request.

As a result of the Seoul District Courts’ decision to accept his request, Kang Daniel will be able to pursue independent activities as a celebrity.

The courts found that the joint business contract LM Entertainment signed with a third party on January 28, 2019 was a contract that transferred the majority of management rights for Kang Daniel to a third party. As Kang Daniel had not been contacted for prior consent, LM Entertainment’s actions not only went against the exclusive contract, but they also broke the trust that is the foundation of the exclusive contract. Therefore, it was decided that LM Entertainment’s actions made it difficult to maintain a relationship between the agency and Kang Daniel.

As a result, the exclusive contract between Kang Daniel and LM Entertainment has been suspended, and LM Entertainment must not interfere in Kang Daniel’s activities, and they must not negotiate or sign contracts on his behalf or require him to pursue activities on their behalf.”^{[s] [s] [soompi]}

Daniel’s name trended on various online platforms for hours. The support hashtags were #KangDanielWon and #WelcomeBackDaniel.

Daniel’s side received a full citation [jeonbuinyong 전부인용], meaning the judge sided with Daniel on every argument presented. Some said Kang Daniel became the first artist to receive a court ruling that was completely in favor of all points made.^[eng]

At 7:10 PM, eDaily [Reporter Kim Eunkoo 김은구] revealed LM’s plans to object the court decision and file a lawsuit.^[s]

(Note: Daniel is still free to pursue activities. In the meantime, Korean fans have been preparing a case to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism against LM regarding LM’s Mapo address violating the independent office requirement based on Article 26 paragraph 2 of the Pop Culture and Arts Industry Act.^{[s] [s] [s]} Here is the answer from the head of Mapo office saying there will be an administrative penalty.^[s])

Daniel posted a handwritten letter on his personal Instagram.

“I’m writing [this letter] because I wanted to inform everyone, who’s believed in and waited for me during these long three months, of [this news] myself. If I didn’t have the support and attention you’ve given me, I don’t think I could have gathered up the courage like this. During the long, long period of silence, I was touched and even cried as I read each and every one of your supportive messages. I was able to endure each day through your warmth and faith.

Although I could have made [my situation] easier and faster by making compromises, I wanted to show you this image of myself going in the right and honorable direction, even if I went slowly.

Thank you so, so much to all the fans who believed in my actions and my thoughts.

I’ll now return all the courage and faith that I’ve received from everyone so far. I’ll appear on the precious stage that you guys have helped made possible with a great song and better image.

All the fans! Please keep an eye out for rookie singer Kang Daniel, who will be making a fresh start.

Once again, thank you so much.”^[soompi]

On May 11, a representative of LM Entertainment stated, “We intend to file a formal objection and fight until the end against the injustice of the original suit and the court’s recent ruling. We will use every means at our disposal to deal with this affair.”^[soompi]

(Note: A lawyer believes it is very rare for the court’s decision to change. Daniel is protected by the law, and entertainment activities are legally guaranteed without LM’s interference.^{[s] [s] [s]})

At 12:33 PM, Hankook Ilbo [Reporter Lee Hoyeon 이호연] reported new statements from KMF and KEPA from the 12th. Even though LM violated the exclusive contract, the associations did not comment on that and instead focused on brokers. Officials claimed they never said Daniel was wrong, which contradicts KMF’s previous threatening statement. According to anonymous sources, some industry reps are waiting for the dispute to conclude, naming CJ ENM’s stance or behind the scenes suspicions as reasons. Another official said many advertisers and producers are waiting for the dispute to be resolved, and overseas performances are likely. Officials recognized Daniel’s buzz but differed in opinion over the timing of his return to the industry.^{[s] [s]}

The head of Mapo-gu office stated in a letter on May 3 that LM would receive an administrative penalty for violating the independent office requirement. LM avoided this punishment by changing the office to Gangnam on May 13.^[s]

On May 30, Daily Economy [Reporter Lee Dagyeom 이다겸] reported that LM filed a formal objection against the court’s decision on May 13.^[s]

At 8:01 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Kim Yeonji 김연지] published an article with the mocking title, “Kang Daniel, It’s Too Early to Laugh… An Unfinished Fight.” Kim wrote that if the legal dispute continues, the debut timing would be after this year and surmised that Daniel’s activities in Korea are unclear until the two sides’ issues are resolved. The article also included that previous entertainers whose issues have not been resolved were sanctioned by the KMF and KEPA, and their days were spent in vain due to legal battles. The article failed to address LM’s contract violations and concluded by saying there were proposals from overseas.^[s]

Daniel’s lawyer Yeom Yongpyo appeared on MBC’s late night Section TV news. The segment covered the court’s decision that LM broke the trusting relationship and should not interfere with entertainment activities. As long as the current decision is not reversed, Daniel can pursue any entertainment activities. He stated that they will actively review and respond if the agency files an objection.^{[s] [s] [s]}

At 9 AM, Star News [Reporter Yoon Sanggeun 윤상근] reported that Daniel’s side filed a contract termination lawsuit against LM on March 21. Daniel filed an injunction for the suspension of his contract a couple days prior on March 19.^{[s] [eng]}

At 5:54 PM, Korea Economy [Reporter Ahn Daegyu 안대규] reported about the Seoul Central District Court ruling. The joint business contract between LM and the third party transferred most of Daniel’s exclusive rights to the third party. LM’s actions not only violated the exclusive contract but also destroyed the trusting relationship underlying the contract.

Daniel’s lawyer Yeom Yongpyo stated that they emphasized Daniel’s prior consent was not received, and the court accepted. The is the first case [choechoi panrye 최초의 판례] that the nature of the joint business contract was a transfer of exclusive contract rights. He added that it is significant that the entertainer obtained rights back in a dispute with the agency.^{[s] [s] [s] [s]}

The head of Mapo office previously stated that LM would receive an administrative penalty fee for violating the independent office requirement.^[s] Mapo-gu requested that LM fix the problem by mid-June. LM allegedly did not want to pay the penalty and transferred to Lime Music’s office address in Gangnam on May 13. The case is now closed on the Mapo website.^{[s] [s]}

According to a fan who spoke with KMF, a meeting will be carried out next week regarding whether LM is illegal. Many people who made complaints want KMF to focus on taking the appropriate action against LM and banning illegal media play.^[s]

At 10:49 AM, Consumer Times broke the news that Human Aid’s June 3 magazine issue has Daniel on the cover and will have an exclusive interview with Daniel’s lawyer. The proceeds from this magazine will be used for media education and job creation for people with developmental disabilities.^{[s] [s]}

Peachup_961210, the fansite that provided the cover image, said there will be articles on the fandom’s donations and Daniel’s lawyer.^[s] 20k copies will be printed, doubling the original amount.^[s]

At 11:12 AM, Daily Economy [Reporter Lee Dagyeom 이다겸] reported that LM filed an objection on May 13, and the first court hearing is on June 12.^{[s] [soompi]}

The time of the court hearing (11 AM) was reported in a separate article with a negative tone at 12:50 PM by Star News (Reporter Lee Jeongho 이정호).^[s]

(Note: People typically appeal to a higher court instead of applying for an objection. This is because the objection is heard in the same court, and there is little chance of the sentence changing. LM applying for an objection rather than an appeal is a delay tactic. After an objection is rejected, LM can appeal in about 5 days.^[s]

Daniel has not appeared on social media or pursued any public activities since May 10. Pursuing activities before the hearing could delay the decision since LM could file an injunction or contract breach lawsuit against Daniel within that time frame from March 13 to June 12. This would complicate the contract suspension process and postpone the contract termination hearings.^[s])

At 3:27 PM, Money Today [Reporter Song Minkyung (attorney) 송민경] published a factual article. The objection will be heard by the same presiding court and judge. Aside from the district court, litigants can appeal to the high court to dispute the decision. The appeal process does not halt the injunction ruling that the contract is suspended. Daniel is able to do his own entertainment activities independently of LM.^{[s] [s]}

Unbeknownst to many, Daniel established his one-man company KONNECT Entertainment on May 31.^[s]

Daniel’s lawyer is featured in Human Aid Magazine’s first issue. Other than his kind words about Daniel, there was nothing new revealed about Daniel’s situation.^[s]

LM submitted an application to change the upcoming June 12 court hearing date. LM requested the hearing to be held on June 26. This was because LM changed the lawyer to Wi Hyunseok (위현석).^{[s] [s]}

Daniel registered his company KD Corporation (케이디 주식회사).^[s]

At around 3 PM KST, Daniel posted on his Instagram he would hold an Instagram Live at 11 PM KST.

“여러분! 오늘밤11시 인스타 라이브를 통해 여러분을 만나려 합니다. 우리 오늘밤에 만나요!!”
“Everyone! I’ll meet you later via Instagram Live tonight at 11. We’ll see each other tonight!!”

June 9 is also the second year anniversary when he ranked first for the very first time on Produce 101.

Daniel updated fans in his first Instagram live since February. He said he’s in the preparation stages for his debut and is working on and making music. He thanked fans and concluded with, “Now I will run to you guys. See you soon.”^[soompi]

At 8:40 AM, MK News [Reporter Park Seyeon 박세연] predictably reported negative news. The court hearing about LM’s objection was delayed from June 12 to June 26 since LM changed lawyers.^[s]

At 9:26 AM, Sports Donga [Reporter Hong Seyoung 홍세영] reported Daniel established a one-man agency KONNECT Entertainment (커넥트ENT). He will make his debut under KONNECT Ent once he definitively obtains rights from LM after LM’s objection hearing.^{[s] [s]}

On June 10, Kang Daniel’s new agency KONNECT Entertainment confirmed that he had recently set up an office in the Gangnam district of Seoul. The agency’s name comes from the words “Korea” and “connect,” meaning that Kang Daniel aims to connect Korea to the rest of the world through his future activities.

A representative of KONNECT Entertainment explained the singer’s decision to found his own agency by stating, “Kang Daniel decided to go in the direction of establishing a one-man agency after considering from every possible angle what kind of agency structure would best suit his long-term activities.”

The agency representative added, “His decision was also heavily influenced by the fact that he wanted to return to his fans, who have waited for a long time, as quickly as possible. It was because a one-man agency, which can be both focused and effective in its work, is best-suited to [helping him] promote as soon as possible.”^[soompi]

(Note: The articles about his alleged activities were marked as 단독 [exclusive] and were not officially confirmed. The official articles say 공식.^[s])

At 10:20 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Kim Yeonji 김연지] reported a music industry official said Daniel is preparing to debut in July.^[s] At 10:47 AM, Xports News [Reporter Jeon Ahram 전아람] reported Daniel’s side said there’s no decision on the July debut.^[s]

At 3:20 PM, Ten Asia [Reporter Kim Sookyung 김수경] reportedly said Daniel will have an Asia tour in the second half of the year.^[s] At 4:02 PM, Xports News [Reporter Jeon Ahram 전아람] reported that Daniel’s agency denied it and emphasized the album is the priority before deciding activities.^{[s] [soompi]}

At 4:18 PM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈] reported Daniel is listed as the CEO of KD Corporation (케이디 주식회사) and is expected to enter into various business areas in the future.^[s] At 5:04 PM, MT Star News [Reporter Gong Mina 공미나] wrote Daniel’s side clarified that there is nothing definite about the tour, publication of pictorial books, nor expansion of business.^{[s] [soompi]} At 7:26 PM, My Daily [Reporter Lee Yeeun 이예은] reported that Daniel’s entertainment industry affairs will be handled by KONNECT. All other related work will be taken charge by KD Corporation. KONNECT and KD Corporation are companies with two different purposes. While he was setting up the two companies, Kang Daniel received help from lawyers and specialists. They advised that this method was the best in building his company, so he established them separately.^{[s] [s]}

LM-affiliated news outlet Ilgan Sports [Reporter Kim Yeonji 김연지] published an article with false information. KONNECT later confirmed Daniel was meeting with a music distributor and negated Ilgan Sports’ false statements.^[soompi] Shortly after KONNECT’s statement, the reporter edited her article’s title.

On June 10, it was reported that LM’s court date changed from June 12 to June 26.^[s]

The hearing was held at 11 AM. LM stood by the investment contract stance and lamented about LM’s reputation in the industry. LM offered to assist KONNECT if the injunction is dismissed. Daniel’s side refused due to broken trust and said Daniel’s side also suffered losses. The court stated a decision will be made on July 10.^{[s] [s] [soompi]}

At 11:50 AM, YTN Star [Reporter Ji Seunghun 지승훈 ] published Daniel’s heartfelt message about his dreams and gratitude.^{[s] [soompi]}

At 8:02 AM, Newsen [Reporter Lee Minji 이민지] reported that Daniel is aiming for a solo debut for the end of July. Devine Channel CEO and producer Kei Lim and Geoffrocause are collaborating.^{[s] [soompi]}

At 4:13 PM on the 28th, News1 [Reporter Hwang Mihyun 황미현] said KONNECT reportedly scouted an executive from Cube Entertainment for overseas promotions.^[soompi]

At 8:00 AM on the 29th, Star News [Reporter Gong Minah 공미나] reported there was a lot of public broadcast love calls for Daniel.^[s] Later at 11 AM, Star News [Reporter Yoon Sanggeun 윤상근] reported a renowned foreign choreographer will work on his title.^[s]

Daniel made his first public appearance since the last day of Wanna One’s final concert on January 27. He was officially appointed as Busan’s honorary ambassador and tossed the first pitch for the Lotte Giants’ home game.^[soompi]

July 10 is the deadline for Daniel and LM to submit additional documents for the objection hearing.^[soompi]

LM’s objection to the injunction decision was rejected.^[soompi] LM will attempt to appeal to a higher court using evidence that wasn’t used despite the deadline for additional evidence being the day prior.^[soompi]

Shortly after Daniel released his color on me album pre-order information, KMF announced that Daniel’s manager was removed from KMF.^[soompi]

Shortly after news of Daniel’s album topping pre-order sites and Daniel releasing new social media (fancafe, Twitter, YouTube), LM reported that an appeal to Seoul’s higher court was filed.^[s]

At 8:01 AM, Sports Seoul [Reporter Lee Jiseok 이지석] reported Sony Music Korea invested billions of won for Daniel’s debut (Note: The LM-affiliated journalist began the article stating Sony Music Korea was a subsidiary of Sony, a Japan company [even though Sony Music is US-based]. This inclusion was deliberate since Japan and South Korea are embroiled in a trade war.^[s] A Sony Music investment article became one of the top viewed articles and invited a lot of negative attention due to the anti-Japanese sentiment).

After news of Daniel’s solo debut album having 5 tracks and announcement of fanmeets, Ilgan Sports reportedly said Daniel won’t attend music shows or programs due to the ongoing company dispute. KONNECT refuted this.^{[s] [soompi]}

Daniel made his solo debut on July 25 with his title song “뭐해 (What are you up to)” from special album color on me. He held a showcase at 4 PM in Yes24 Live Hall and released his digital album at 6 PM KST. A fan showcase was held at 8 PM.^{[s] [soompi]} Physical albums were distributed on July 29.

On August 5 at around 9 AM, it was reported that Daniel set the new record for the highest 1st week sales for a solo artist on Hanteo Charts.^[soompi]

Less than an hour later at 10:11 AM, Dispatch [Reporters Oh Myungju and Park Hyejin 오명주·박혜진] targeted Daniel again following the April 2 one-sided article written in collusion with LM. This dating news article was originally intended to be posted on July 20 at 7:59 PM. Dispatch claimed the article was delayed to avoid Daniel’s debut, yet Dispatch did not have proper photo proof at that point. The photo Dispatch used was taken outside Daniel’s company building on July 23, the day of the V LIVE.^[soompi] Dispatch also claimed that the car photos were taken on July 25, but evidence suggests the date is falsified.^[s] Despite Dispatch’s lack of proof, JYP and Daniel confirmed the couple was meeting with good feelings. This tip off broke Dispatch’s rule to not report on rising stars or rookies (Note: As the couple started dating in early 2019, LM staff reportedly knew about it^[s]).

On August 6, KONNECT made a firm statement about taking legal action to protect Daniel.^[s]

On August 8, LM-affiliated news outlets reported about Wanna One’s 2nd anniversary meeting. At first, SPOTV reported that all members except Jisung were in attendance at 7:22 AM. The article gathered positive attention in 2 hours and helped the article trend, only to then change the title and content by pinpointing Daniel as the missing member. At 7:43 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Hwang Jiyoung 황지영] wrote exclusive information that the dinner was paid by Jisung through an LM manager. Following the publication of this news, SPOTV’s report removed Daniel from the attendees.^[s]

(Note: This reunion organized by LM was already heavily media played on August 7, even suggesting at first that members were going to meet fans as a group. A private reunion became a public spectacle. Daniel not attending the reunion forced KONNECT to respond stating Daniel had an unexpected schedule related to overseas fanmeets.^[s])

On August 9, Daniel and Yulchon officially filed for criminal complaints to the Seoul Metropolitan Police’s cyber crime unit. Daniel was experiencing severe emotional distress from the past few days.^[soompi]

On August 21 at 2:55 PM, it was reported that the Seoul High Court appeal hearing would take place on September 24. On September 2 at 7:06 AM, Ilgan Sports [Reporter Hwang Jiyoung 황지영] reported Yulchon submitted a date change request on August 29. The Seoul High Court appeal hearing was delayed to October 1. Despite the delay being only a week, the reporter media played by saying it’s a month.^{[s] [s]}

At 8:20 AM, Yonhap News [Reporter Lee Eunjung 이은정 ] reported that according to the Korean Entertainment Management Association (CEMA), the contract dispute between Kang Daniel and LM Entertainment is officially over. Both sides agreed to end their dispute and terminate the exclusive contract to prevent any further damages.^{[s] [soompi]} LM and KONNECT confirmed and provided statements around 10 AM.^{[s] [s]} KONNECT’s statement ranked among the most viewed articles in Naver. Fans celebrated with the #KangDanielisFree hashtag.