One exclusive media outlet report has claimed that MC Mong (Shin Dong Hyun, age 45) explicitly expressed his intention to recruit EXO's Baekhyun and Kai.
On July 18, TenAsia reported that it had obtained a recording of MC Mong's private conversation with several entertainment industry officials, where he mentioned EXO's Baekhyun and Kai. In this recording, MC Mong stated, "I really want to bring Kai and Baekhyun," and added, "I'm working f*** hard on it." He also explained why he desired to recruit Kai and Baekhyun, arguing unilaterally that EXO's exclusive contract with SM Entertainment was unequal.
Furthermore, the recording contained information suggesting that EXO had received unfair settlements during their domestic and international tours. This indicates that MC Mong intended to justify his recruitment attempts.
Towards the end of the recording, MC Mong reiterated his desire, saying, "I really want to bring Kai and Baekhyun. Right now, I'm working f*** hard on it. That way, I can be number one."
According to TenAsia, this conversation was recorded around January of the previous year. It wasn't until June of this year, approximately a year and five months later, that the so-called "Chen, Baek, Xiumin Incident" occurred.
This incident involved EXO members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin notifying their agency, SM Entertainment, of their wishes to terminate their exclusive contracts. Rumors of EXO disbanding emerged, and eyebrows were raised when they filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission, accusing SM of forcing them into unfair, long-term contracts akin to slavery and lacking transparency in payment procedures.
Controversy arose when SM claimed the involvement of a third party in the conflict with ChenBaekXi. Soon, MC Mong was identified as the alleged third force, although he firmly denied such allegations. MC Mong previously clarified, "During a regular meeting, I only provided support to my junior artist facing company issues. As SM mentioned, I was not incentivized to engage in illegal activities, and I am in no position to do so."
The 'ChenBaekXi Incident' was resolved through a discussion between SM and EXO's members. In a statement, SM expressed, "Through mutually equal discussions and revisions, the company and the three artists have promised to further strengthen their relationship in the future."
Regarding the rumors surrounding MC Mong, SM stated, "We received a report of an outside force approaching the three artists with unreasonable intentions, and we initially pointed to this as the main cause of the dispute. However, through this discussion, it became clear that there was a misunderstanding regarding the involvement of a third party. We would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those affected for the concern caused by our announcement." MC Mong also accepted the apology, responding with "THX (thank you)" on his social media.
An SM official explained to the magazine, "We have not been able to ascertain the intentions behind MC Mong's statements or the nature of his attempts."
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MC Mong is no saint, and his reputation in the industry and things he's done stand with that record. But he didn't simply try to 'poach' these two out of the blue, or any other members for that matter. They are seasoned artists who've been in the industry since their youth, and it's documented that more than one member of EXO went to him to receive counsel on their issues with SM. He's a businessman, so while he's going to give advice to his colleagues, he's also going to take an opportunity when he sees one. And why shouldn't he? EXO is not the only group/artists who are both successful yet lacking in proper promotions and overall treatment from SM. Just the other day fans of Red Velvet were protesting how unacceptable it is that the group has been around for this long but has yet to release more than two full-length albums. We've also seen other protests of individuals who are clearly successful but have next to zero promotions for even their solo works, but it continues to fall on deaf ears.
Bottom line, whether or not MC Mong was involved in the 'ChenBaekXi' incident is irrelevant if they either came to him willingly or simply sought out his advice. Regardless of how that situation was procured, that also doesn't mean he isn't allowed to throw his hat in the ring to offer his services if he thinks he can give them something better. Sure, his statement shows he's wanting to extend his influence in the industry, but that's every company large and small. Also, SM is clearly bitter about what occurred and the hit their reputation took once again after the three members complained of their contractual mistreatment, and the proof is in the comeback: lousy changes to outfits for music shows, last-minute cancellation of pre-orders for their album, the list goes on and on. SM is flexing their influence to remind the members what happened when other groups or individuals stood up for themselves, and I've no doubt they'd be willing to do the same to any remaining members of EXO that tried to do the same.
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