Dispatch reported that Lee Mu Jin was absent from a recent recording of KBS's YouTube show 'Leemujin Service' despite the program being named after him.
In this episode, the guest was NMIXX's Kyujin, but she appeared on the show alone, performing solo without Lee Mu Jin's usual accompaniment.
According to Dispatch, Lee Mu Jin's absence was a form of protest against the ongoing dispute between his agency and KBS regarding artist appearances. Lee Mu Jin, known for his signature duet performances with guests, did not participate in this episode.
Lee Mu Jin is signed under Big Planet Made, a subsidiary of One Hundred, which represents Baekhyun and Xiumin. Recently, One Hundred has been in conflict with KBS over Xiumin’s comeback broadcast appearances.
On March 4, One Hundred claimed that KBS had informally conveyed that “Xiumin cannot appear on programs featuring SM artists.” The agency further accused KBS of sidelining their artists following the ChenBaekXi (Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin) contract dispute and stated that they had been unable to reach the KBS entertainment division head for two weeks regarding scheduling decisions.
In response, One Hundred escalated the situation by boycotting KBS appearances, with Lee Mu Jin being the first to withdraw, skipping his scheduled 'Leemujin Service' recording. The agency stated, “The KBS executive responsible for artist appearances has been avoiding communication. This left us with no choice but to interpret it as a blanket rejection of all our artists.”
However, KBS denied these allegations, stating, “We have been in continuous communication with the agency.” Meanwhile, SM Entertainment has yet to release an official statement regarding the controversy.
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