This article was posted in a forum dated 3 September 2006. At that time, DBSK is at their peak in their career and never thought this will happen :(
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"Okay - here's how the whole story goes... Lee Soo Man is the head producer - he's basically in charge of everything that goes on in SM... (SM used to stand for Soo Man but it's something else now..I forget...Star something...) He's like..completely horrible!
I mean, personally, I have nothing against SM the label, it's more like..the people who run it.
There's a saying in Korea that states: "If you don't make it with SM then you can't make it anywhere." It's actually half true. The reason Shinhwa broke away from SM is that they couldn't stand not being able to participate in recording their album (like writing songs, being more active in the whole process, not being controlled), and the only reason why they're still doing fine is that their fanbase is HUGE and the fans are VERY supportive of their split from SM. Shinhwa was fed up with their songs being controlled, and fed up with being hit and bullied by SM managers. -__-;;
As for HOT not getting back together, it's really crappy. Moon HeeJun from HOT went solo, as you may know, and after his first album, they withdrew funding from him and decided to focus on the "hotter, newer stars" like DBSK and BoA. Basically, he was left on the back burner and left to fend for himself. He released his later albums from money in his own pocket and donations from loyal fans. Awww...
Basically, when you get old/get less popular in SM, they just leave you to rot. They'll discard you like an old sock.
SM controls your life - when you sign on, you're basically signing away your soul. When DBSK was first formed, Soo Man gave the order to put the boys on a water diet (they basically starved the boys to the extreme) to make their faces slimmer so that they look better in pictures. They often try to get artists to get plastic surgery in order to boost their appearances. No joke. SM goes for looks first, then talent. (They got lucky with DBSK - looks AND talent.)
Rumor has it (and I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed, at least, according to my sources...) that SM hits/beats their artists whenever they make a mistake, and often they are driven to sickness by exhaustion and fatigue. Remember when Micky/Yoochun was in the hospital with apendicitis? Yah..there you go...
The probably only exception to the abuse is BoA, SM's favored artist, of whom I've heard indirectly from her coordinators that she's really stuck-up and and really bossy. Hence, I do not like her (I never did.) - sorry BoA fans! (By all means keep liking her if you do!)
When the whole scare that DBSK was going to be rotated came around (meaning winter-spring time this year), did you see the members cry at the perf.s and such? Well, I believe they were screamed at, then hit around, and they were banned from going to any press conferences. They were split up (put into different rooms and such) and they weren't allowed to discuss anything regarding it. I believe if they were going to rotate, they had announced that Jaejoong and Yoochun would be the first to leave because they "cause so much trouble".
If the fans did not stage the boycott of SM goods, I believe they really would have rotated DBSK. Plus the fact that Changmin is still a minor and their parents can still sue SM under their contract.
So...if SM is so horrible..why would you sign on under it?
Because, it gives you FAME. SM is RUTHLESS when it comes to making it to the top, and you are almost guaranteed some sort of fame. Secondly, THEY PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE. They give you all these opportunities that are probably pretty good.
...I believe (I remember reading this) an average SM group like DBSK makes around 3 CENTS or something per album/single they sell. That split 5 ways is less than 1 cent per member. Yah - in the end, it may add up, but really, SM just sucks out the profit. It's a money making machine in the entertainment business. SOO MAN TAKES MOST OF THE PROFITS HIMSELF - HE IS LIKE...ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN IN KOREA.
Basically...Lee Soo Man is running this company that controls everything that goes on in their artists' lives. Although he's NOT THE PRESIDENT, he has the MOST POWER. Don't ask me how that works...I'm not sure... -__-;;; Even the president resigned this year due to everything that's been going on. Basically...I CAN'T STAND LEE SOO MAN. He deserves...really bad things to happen to him. -__-;;;
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1. what do you mean by being rotated?? do you mean breaking them up??
What happened was...if you look at other SM groups, there usually is one or two lead singer(s) and the rest are rappers (those who can't sing as well but look pretty) or back-up singers. When DBSK was formed, they put 5 would-be "lead singers" (like - if they were all in different groups, they would all be the lead singers) together, and of course, it was very successful. HOWEVER - here's where the rotation part comes in. When SM was really gunning for their girl group SES (remember them? with Shoo, Eugene, and Bada), SM took them to Japan and China to gain more ground in the Asian music industry. But what happened was that when they left Korea, a new girl group was debuted under another company...you probably have heard of them too...FINKL (with Hyori, etc.) After the whole fiasco of FinkL becoming very popular in Korea and sharing SES's level of success (SES fans shifted to FinkL for the time being when they went to Japan and China), SM vowed to never have that happen again - to always have their aritsts be #1 in Korea. So what did they do? They had this crazy idea to make DBSK a rotating group. That means when DBSK goes to Japan/China/other places, one or two members will be taken out to work with other groups/on solo projects in Korea, as to maintain DBSK popularity in Korea and eliminate rival groups. The original 5 would basically not perform with each other anymore - there would be like 3 or so originals, and 2 or so rotated members. The original members would all be rotated in and out in between solo projects and other group projects. Crazy - yes I know - but true. SM is one monopoly on the Korean music market.
2. what do they mean about Hiro and Micky causing trouble?? are they rebellious towards the company?? and if so, who wouldn't be...
Jaejoong/Hero/Hiro: They have fanmeetings/signings yah? Well, apparently there were instances where there were LONG lines to meet DBSK. There were instances where there are 5 separate lines - one for each member. Well, one time, there was NO ONE in JAEJOONG'S LINE (T_T awww...I so would have gone in that line if I saw that!) and the managers who were coordinating the event were like..to fans in the other lines.. "do you want to get into this line?" and they would be like...NO! (GOSH! THEY'RE SO MEAN/RUDE! T_T) And it made Jaejoong really sad. The other members encouraged fans to get into Jaejoong's line, but apparently it didn't work. SM was beginning to believe Jaejoong was getting less popular, so they wanted him to work on other projects first - as a result.
Yoochun/Micky: ...I don't know if you noticed this, but around the time they were announcing the rotation, he began to cry/breaking down during performances (which, I heard, he got hit for T_T) and in SM's words... "causing trouble". Therefore, they wanted to remove him from DBSK first also.
Yes - I agree - I would be rebellious too..except..you get punished for doing so...like..being starved and getting beaten. -___-;;
3. by the way how did Shinhwa manage to get out of SM??
What happened was...Shinhwa decided to switch entertainment companies because they had enough with SM's controlling behavior (this was like..unheard of! Sm doesn't allow their artists to switch companies freely, especially if they are as popular as Shinhwa... Shinhwa = money in SM's eyes). They decided to move to Good! Entertainment, a brand new company with better management. SM couldn't FORCE them to stay, because Shinhwa's contracts had expired anyways (SM was seeking to renew, Shinhwa was seeking to move companies ASAP!). So, what did SM do? They sued Shinhwa for a bunch of stuff, and they claimed that if Shinhwa was to move companies, they can't use the name SHINHWA because of copyright issues. Therefore, there was a battle so to speak in court, and Shinhwa ended up winning. They retained their trademark name and moved to Good! Entertainment. Most artists who move struggle because SM makes it their duty to make sure they are crushed by SM artists. But knowing Shinhwa, they already had a HUGE fanbase that was more than supportive of the move. They staged a movement where when their 7th album came out this past year, NO ONE was to post downloads in order to encourage people to buy it, and many fans bought more than one copy of it. =)
Side note: I'd say SM's biggest "rival" company is YG Entertainment - which manages artists such as Se7en, 1TYM, Taebin, etc. I dunno - just my opinion. Hence, the whole...Se7en's in Japan! DBSK must be in Japan too! thing...
THEN It was kimtaitai's message on Abaka that really got me she wrote:
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Hi~ I'm a current member of clubH.O.T,
and am a fan of the now broken up group, H.O.T. ^^
These days the group DBSK have been performing a lot
and have caught my attention.
Not only that, I heard that one of the DBSK members was a
very big male fan of H.O.T., and thats how I first started to
learn more about DBSK
As I watch the way they act and their performance,
I couldn't help but to think that they are very simliar
to H.O.T when they first started
H.O.T is seriously the god's to our generation,
so for people that were born around 82, 83, etc.
No one probably understand what they meant to us...
After Seotaiji and boys broke up, H.O.T. saved the
kpop music scene that was completely dying out.
All the teenagers were pulled into H.O.T.,
and within a year of their debut they received the top music award.
Out of all the major awards that H.O.T received, there must be awards
from at least 10 different music/television companies
When I see DBSK right now, the past H.O.T. fills my mind.
I was a freshman in high school when H.O.T. first debuted.
Now I am 22, and even today, when I go to performances or
concerts, I am looked as a young girl ^^
I heard that the majority of DBSK fans are junior high students,
and although many people say that they are young fans,
we were exactly like that too.
Whenever people saw us they called us H.O.T fanatics.
But then what about now? Even after 8-9 years
we are still here watching over them.
We hope that all the DBSK fans follow in our footsteps ^^
Liking H.O.T. for about 9 years,
I would like to give a little heads up and warnings about the company SM
I am someone that had a voice within the H.O.T fan club.
So I know a little more about the company SM, than most fans or normal people
At this moment, many H.O.T. fans have ventured out ^^
There are some that have become stars, others that became famous peoples' coordis,
and even some that have been hired into SM
Through these people we have learned that,
what we believed to be unfair treatment by SM, in reality, was very much true
SM claimed that the 2nd H.O.T. was blackbeat, but after their failure
they tried once again, and that group is DBSK
Silently leading the group with wit and talent, YoungWoong JaeJoong.
He is like MoonHeeJun.
Leader in dance, with the aura of a tough guy, but sometimes very cute, UKnowYunHo.
He is like JangWooHyuk.
Lived in the states, and able to speak English, very charismatic and outgoing, MickyYooChun.
He is like Tony.
With looks that can be looked as almost femine, and the image where you want to take care of him, ChoiKangChangMin.
He is like Kangta.
Looks that can be looked as average, but the type of person that the more you see the more you like, XiahJunSu.
He is like LeeJaeWon.
Two group that really have a lot in common, DBSK and H.O.T.
Maybe that's why, but we H.O.T. fans are genuinely scared that
the DBSK fans will have to face the hurt and dissapointing ordeals we had to go through.
Especially because all of you are so young.
Cassiopia fans...
SM is honestly a dangerous place.
As you like DBSK more I am sure that your hatred for SM will only grow
The first time H.O.T. began to get battered by LeeSooMan was during the beginning of their 3rd album
I'm not sure if you heard their 2nd album song, "Heng Bok"
That is the song H.O.T. received the DaeSang award,
and the album after that for every little mistake, they were hurt.
At that time, I believed that no matter what, it was merely just rumors
Slowly, everything I believed were rumors, were slowly turning into realities
By any chance do you know of Andy of ShinHwa's incident?
For awhile he was on stage wearing a mask wasnt he?
SM said some unbelievable stuff saying that he ran into something
or that JunJin fell while taking a shower.
Everyone continously told us different thigns.
The important factor is that they ran into something or fell,
but why was only his mouth hurt? How come there were no signs of anything near their forehead or nose or any other facial part?
A few days before, Andy went into the SM building, and when he came out
he was wearing a mask, which many fans noticed.
Honestly, at that time I didn't believe it.
After JTL left SM, even after they released their album,
they weren't able to properly perform for a good 2 years.
Their schedules continously got mysteriously cancelled,
and on cable t.v. their music video was not even showed ONCE.
That wast the famous SM-JTL boycott.
Boycott...
SM went to every television company and threatened that
in the case they brought JTL onto their broadcasting list, SM would pull out all their singers from that company
Many fans called JTL's company "YeJun Media" and asked what was happening,
but even from there they did not know.
This is a famous event,
It was when MoonHeeJun's 2nd album was supposed to come out
Fans were sleeping in front of HeeJun's house,
when HeeJun's mother came out and began to cry like no tomorrow.
She was begging to the fans to save HeeJun...
"Please save my HeeJun..."
HeeJun's first album sold 600,000 copies.
But SM said, "Merely 600,000?!"
They said they didn't want to invest in his 2nd album.
So for HeeJun's 2nd album, his music video, and jacket pictures...
he poured out his own money and savings.
Everyone.
Buy their album. That is helping DBSk.
Whenever H.O.T albums came out, we fans bought AT LEAST 2 copies.
That's the only reason whenever a new album came out they were able to surpass 1 million album sales.
And for that fact only...
thats the only reason the members were able to collect a little bit of money.
H.O.T. boys...
for every album they received approximiately 2 cents.
After Boa released her first alubm,
she received 50 cents per album.
For five people if it's 2 cent, that means its not even a quarter cent per person.
Then you might ask...
"What about the commercials and photo albums, and all the other side things H.O.T did?"
To keep it simple,
the only money H.O.T members make is through album sales.
Any commercials, and any shows, anything,
all that money goes to SM.
So its basically an unjust contract, a slave contract.
We heard that the contract between DBSK and SM is immense,
but thats not always a good thing.
When one leaves SM you must pay a fee that is much higher htan the contract,
and basically its to stop singers from leaving
Not only that they will take out a percentage of one's profits if one leaves.
Do you think the term "slave contract" came out of nowhere??
DBSK right now...they are probably having a really hard time.
Do you all know this?
The president of SM isn't LeeSooMan but, KimKyungWook.
To put it in lamen terms...
Although on paper KimKyungWook is the president,
the person that makes all the decisions is LeeSooMan.
The reason,
SM has done a lot of illegal things.
And if those acts are caught, someone needs to be blamed.
So LeeSooMan screws up,
and KimKyungWook takes the blame.
If you look at it KimKyungWoo is a slave too. An SM slave.
H.O.T.'s old manager is currently working for a very famous company.
That person once said that H.O.T. are kids he truely feels sorry for,
and so they were kids that he wanted to save.
That person tried to take H.O.T. out of SM, but got caught by LeeSooMan
and was immediately fired. Right now he is working at SIDUS and is producing the group G.O.D.
That is the reason LeeSooMan hates G.O.D. so much.
So much to the point that any radio show SM singers host,
he makes it clear he doesnt want to hear them putting on G.O.D. songs.
Even though slave contract, unjust contracts are against the law,
LeeSooMan is living quite fine.
He is truely a rich man. Someone with so much money it is unbelievable.
Although he waste a lot of money, he always has more.
We raised SM
and then we were stepped on by SM and died.
All the money that came in from H.O.T was invested into BoA
and all the money they invested in BoA is being currently reearned.
But now H.O.T memebers have encountered so many scars,
and they are slowly being forgotten by people.
Along with Club H.O.T who set records as a fan club.
We all are being forogtten by people.
All of you will get older with DBSK.
We were the same.
We used to say that "we're aging together,"
and these days those words sound so sad
As time goes feelings will be stronger,
and we sincerely hope that DBSK doesn't endure the same scars from SM, as H.O.T. had.
Don't take the same hurt as we did.
Within DBSK, create an awesome fan culture.
With every childless statement, the fan image is slowly ruined.
Become fans that think about what you say,
when announcing you are their fans.
Don't ever be faltered by any rumors, and always trust the member.
Singers will never betray their fans.
Please don't do things that they dont like.
You shouldn't ever make your favorite singer feel disappointedi n you.
If you are going to believe this and that, or just move on to someone else,
then don't like them from the start.
It will only be scars upon that singer/group.
As you grow older, even if you find a boyfriend
don't ever forget that you are DBSK fans.
At first it may just be a fantasy for you
but as time passes and as you grow older
you will realize that they mean a lot more to you than you know
In your heart, you will never forget your younger days
when you were their fans...
please make sure it is only memories that you will not regret... "
*** It's up to you guys if you want to believe this. I must admit that after reading this, I lost some of my respect for SM Entertainment. They are rumors but I can't help but believe that there are some facts in there. :shocked: ' 
credit: Diana@AF
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