Embezzlement. Interpol. Good boy image. Royalties until 2092. Slave contracts. Disrespecting fans. Ousting members from groups. Lying about the South Korean government...

...And we're not done yet. From 2003 until now, SM has been embroiled in a myriad of scandals and controversies caused by their shady practices and never-ending contracts. 2023 alone has been a wild ride of back-to-back news and we have brought you all of the top scandals you must know as a K-Pop fan! Sit back, relax, and strap in because we're in for a WILD one today!

Links to stories mentioned during the episode:

The Year of the K-Pop Girl Group: NewJeans, Twice, XG, Girl's Generation, Mamamoo, and more!
Britney & BoA 2003 Showcase
SM employee dissing CBX/EXO
K-Pop Idol Dating Bans - MIA2K Reacts: JayB, IU, Bobby, Heechul, Chen, and more!
Will HYBE’s Greed Be The Reason for its Downfall?
The reason why SM is against HYBE's hostile takeover


As always, please forgive any mispronunciations!  
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 The Truth Behind SM's Corruption and Biggest Scandals (2023 update!)
01:57 A Brief History on SM Entertainment 
05:01 Who is Lee Sooman? How did he start SM Entertainment?
08:02 Why has Lee Sooman been accused of embezzlement? 
11:19 What does Lee Sooman have to do with the company Like Planning?
18:31 Who are the former SM artists of note? Meet H.O.T., S.E.S., TVXQ, f(X), and more!
22:15 Which artists are currently in SM? Let’s talk about Super Junior, Girl’s Generation, SHINee, EXO, NCT and all its subunits, SuperM, GOT the Beat, aespa, and the future!  
41:01 Who are some of SM’s notable solo artists? (Keeping in mind that most of the idols who are in seasoned groups have put out solo work)
42:36 What are the most notable scandals in SM’s history? 
43:12 Why did the Korean government launch two probes into SM operations in 2003?
46:05 Why did H.O.T. disband? 
47:33 How did TVXQ go from 5 members to 2? What happened between JYJ and SM Entertainment?
53:14 Why did Jessica leave Girls Generation? Are her books Shine and Bright autobiographical?
01:01:34 Why did Kris Wu, Luhan, and Tao from EXO-M sue SM? How did their lawsuits end?
01:05:24 What scandals has SM had in 2023? 
01:05:52 What happened between HYBE and Kakao while trying to acquire SM Entertainment? 
01:08:44 How did SM manage to piss off and mobilize Shawols – the “chillest” fandom – against them? 
01:16:01 Why did Kai have to enlist into the military earlier than expected? Did SM lie about the Korean Military changing laws?
01:21:09 What happened between EXO’s CBX (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin) unit 
01:30:52 How did NCT go down from 23 members to 20? Why won’t Sungchan and Shotaro stay with NCT? Did Lucas decide to leave NCT and WayV or was he forced to?
01:37:34 What is the SM Entertainment Business Structure? What are their companies, labels, and branches like? 
01:37:34 What is SM Studios? Why does SM have their TV/acting division separate? Who owns Dear U now? What is KeyEast? What is Mystic Story? What does SM Culture & Contents do? What is SM Life Design Group? 
01:41:02 Where does SM currently have branches? 
01:45:50 Why is Taeyeon unhappy with SM and unfollowing the official Instagram account?
01:48:18 Which is the best K-Pop agency to join in 2023?
01:50:19 What is Kwangya 119?

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