SM Entertainment didn't always have the best of reputations. Dating "scandals" and shady tax business aside, SM is known for their history of "slave contracts". "Slave contracts" in the K-Pop world refer to how contracts used to be like back in the days, before some newer laws were set in place, with harsh terms that deny idols a say in anything and keep them bound to their label for 13 or so years. Hangeng is one of the few who fled from SM because of these unfair contracts. Most recently, Kris--or Wu Yi Fan--is breaking away from SM and EXO, giving fans a dose of 2009-dejavu. Yet while fans were mainly supportive of Hangeng taking a stand against the big baddie SM, the response to Kris's departure has been mostly negative, many even labeling him as a "traitor".  

 

The difference in public reaction raises a few questions. Why the hate? If Kris is Hangeng 2.0 in that he's also a Chinese celebrity accusing SM of treating him unfairly, why is Kris receiving such negative backlash compared to his sunbae? Is Kris's situation actually different from that of Hangeng? Is Kris not the victim here? 

To answer these questions, it only makes sense to compare the two cases side by side. And to make a proper comparison, we need to review the facts! Shall we?

Hangeng

In December 2001, SM sought foreign talent and went to China to hold the "H.O.T. CHINA" auditions. The competition rate was high as only 1 out of 3,000 people could pass. SM made it clear that it only wanted the best of the best. On February 6, 2005, SM introduced Hangeng, or Hankyung, to Korea as a member of the rotational boy band Super Junior. He was the first non-Korean celebrity to formally debut in the K-Pop scene.

Eight years later in December 2009, Super Junior hit jackpot with their addicting single "Sorry Sorry". After concluding promotions for the third album, however, Hangeng took both Korea and even his fellow group members by surprise as he filed for a contract termination. According to his lawyers, SM's exclusive contract with Hangeng was highly unfair as it cheated Hangeng from most of his profit and kept him bound to the company for an unlawful amount of time (13 years). Furthermore, the company had frequently forced Hangeng to do things not included in the contract and if he ever disobeyed the company, he would be fined. His lawyers also argued that Hangeng developed gastritis and kidney disease because he had been so overworked.  

In addition, back during that time, due to visa restrictions and such related matters, Hangeng was not allowed to perform on all broadcast channels in Korea. These kinds of restrictions were later lifted, but during the beginning of Hangeng's time as an idol, he was legally not allowed to perform on certain broadcast channels. Because of this, Hangeng was frequently forced to wear a mask and dance in the back to hide the fact that he was actually present.

Hangeng's lawyers made their arguments clear to the public and over time, people seemed to be understanding and supportive of Hangeng's decision. In December 2010, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in Hangeng's favor, leading the Chinese star to officially announce his solo debut in June 2010. Since his departure from SM, he has released 2 albums, been in 5 Chinese films, and has won multiple awards. Having been an already popular member during his Super Junior-M days, he is now maintaining a successful solo career in China, making regular appearances on both big and small screens.

Kris (Wu Yi Fan)

Kris debuted on April 8, 2012 as a member of EXO. He was the leader of EXO's subgroup, EXO-M, which is mainly active in China and sings in Mandarin while EXO-K promotes mainly in Korea. From the beginning of EXO's career, it was compared to its sunbae SM groups and was considered to be a combo of TVXQ's superhuman talent and Super Junior's variety and size.

EXO, like all SM idols, was given a lot of attention in the K-Pop scene and with their first viral hit "Growl" followed by their second hit "Overdose", they were beginning to escalate to the top of the K-Pop hierarchy. But on May 14, 2014, like Hangeng, Kris shocked the entertainment industry by suing SM Entertainment and departing from EXO under his real name, Wu Yi Fan.

According to Kris's lawyers, Kris felt as if he were a product or puppet of SM rather than an artist who could make his own artistic decisions and business moves. SM used to schedule his every performance and event without consulting Kris, thus never respecting or considering Kris's opinion or condition. Like Hangeng, Kris even had a medical issue and was even once suspected of having myocarditis, perhaps also caused by stress. 

Surprisingly, however, Kris received a much more negative reaction from the public compared to Hangeng. As he had filed the lawsuit right before EXO's first concert, many fans felt that Kris's decision was rash and unfair for his fellow members. The fact that the EXO members themselves quickly expressed their disappointment in Kris fueled the negative sentiment. On May 15th, just a day after Kris announced his lawsuit, EXO leader Suho notably commented on the issue, saying, "I think Kris' actions are irresponsible and show that he's not thinking about EXO at all. Our members and agency have no issues. What Kris needs to do right now is take back the lawsuit and apologize to the members and company."

Fans considered that SM may have instructed the EXO members to turn on Kris and paint him as the "irresponsible" character in the story in order to avoid a case of Hangeng 2.0. By making Kris the villain, SM and EXO are innocent and EXO's career is saved. But whether or not SM really did urge EXO to speak up, the frustration they did express was real.

Fueling the negative sentiment were also past rumors being brought to light, some of which suggested that Kris may have acted 'irresponsibly' in past occasions by not showing up for work. Just before EXO released their single "Wolf", Kris is rumored to have disappeared for two months. So with these rumors in mind, many felt more frustrated that Kris filed his lawsuit while EXO was its peak, and looked upon his action as being highly inconsiderate, especially with his timing being a week before the group's first solo concert. 

 

Despite the ongoing lawsuit, Kris is currently promoting in China as Wu Yi Fan. He already has a leading role in the upcoming Chinese film 'Somewhere Only We Know', a role in Hangeng's movie 'Xiao You Qiao Mu', and has sang an OST track for the film 'Tiny Times 3'. He is even involved in a Chinese charity campaign 'Heart Ali' with the famous Fan Bingbing. In addition, it was reported recently by media outlet Sohu that he may even be releasing a mini-album soon! Although he is gaining popularity with the Chinese public, and fans are trying to move on, many remain a bit irked that Kris would promote without waiting for the lawsuit to conclude first.

Comparison

Hangeng and Kris are similar in many aspects. They are both Chinese celebrities who started off in the K-Pop market only to return to their roots in China. They were leaders of the Mandarin subsections of their respective groups. They both developed medical issues possibly due to their overload of work. They both felt that SM was treating them unfairly. They both sued during the height of their groups' careers.

But their differences have earned them different responses. Hangeng was viewed as a victim of SM due to SM's "slave contracts" being much harsher back then than they are now. It was cases like Hangeng and TVXQ that forced SM to revise their contracts so that they're a bit more fair now. Furthermore, people felt sorry for Hangeng's struggles during his K-Pop career. As the first foreign celebrity, Hangeng expressed that he had a hard time adjusting to cultural differences and receiving racist, discriminatory treatment.

Kris, on the other hand, is viewed a bit as someone who is ungrateful despite having it easier than Hangeng. Not only did he have a fairer contract but he also debuted with three other EXO Chinese members in a K-Pop world that is much more open to non-Korean idols than Hangeng days. Because of his past rumored irresponsibilities, it's easy for the public to view him as "ungrateful" and "spoiled", especially when his EXO peers also openly spoke out against his decision.

Conclusion

In the end, the public will never know the full story behind both Hangeng's case and Kris's. But from what I gather, I believe that Kris's contract with SM was actually bad to the point that his lawsuit is justified. Just because it isn't as harsh as the "slave contract" days, doesn't make it completely fair. Although he responded to the situation poorly by ditching his group activities and making things inconvenient for his fellow EXO members, I can understand his frustration and his desire to get out as soon as possible. He seems to be a passionate artist, eager to be active in the entertainment industry to the point that he's promoting in the midst of his own lawsuit. But I believe that he also may be naive and impulsive, naive in thinking that he would have had more artistic freedom in the K-Pop world and impulsive in acting rashly when he couldn't realize his dreams sooner.

The future remains unclear for Kris as he continues to promote in China as Wu Yi Fan. But just as Hangeng is now doing well for himself and even interacting with his past Super Junior members, is it possible for Kris to also have a successful career in China and be on good terms with EXO again? Will Korean public sentiment regarding Wu Yi Fan remain negative? Will it even matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.