Fantasy Boys' Hong Seong-min Breaks Silence on Agency Dispute, Apologizes and Thanks Fans

Hong Seong-min, a member of the group Fantasy Boys, has openly shared his feelings regarding the dispute with his agency, offering an apology and words of gratitude to his fans.

On the 21st, Hong Seong-min posted a lengthy message on his personal social media account, accompanied by a group photo of the 10 members. He began by saying, "I am so sorry to approach you with such heavy news all of a sudden."

He continued, "We, all the members, have been running towards a brighter future together, but we could no longer stand by and watch the situation before us and the unfairness directed towards us. We made this choice to protect each other."

"We respect the choices of the members who have chosen a different path and will always support them. We hope that the day will come when we can stand before you again with happy smiles," he expressed his hopes.

In conclusion, he wished his fans well: "Please always stay healthy and have happy, joyful days." He added, "Thank you so much for the attention and love you have given us. I apologize for making you wait so long, and I am grateful."

Fantasy Boys was formed through MBC's boy group audition program 'The Great Escape Season 2' (also known as 'Boys Fantasy') and debuted in 2023 with 11 members. Two years later, in 2025, Chinese member Soul departed, and the group continued as a 10-member multinational boy group.

The members' departure seemed inevitable. In May, leader Kang Min-seo missed a video call event due to health reasons. Fans, puzzled by this, noticed Kang Min-seo sending SOS signals multiple times during a Double One Instagram live session the previous day. Amidst the growing controversy, Kang Min-seo and Lee Han-bin displayed the same gesture during the stage ending, prompting not only the Fantasy Boys fan club but also fans of other artists to join the 'Rescue Fantasy Boys Operation'.

Kang Min-seo revealed through the fan community service 'fromm' that the agency PocketDol Studio had not paid the electricity bills, leading to power outages and forcing members to take cold showers for a week due to the company's overall lack of management of their dormitories. Allegations of unpaid boiler usage fees for the dorm also surfaced.

It was revealed that six members—Kang Min-seo, Lee Han-bin, Hikaru, Hong Seong-min, Kim Gyu-rae, and Kiedan—recently filed lawsuits against PocketDol Studio seeking confirmation of contract invalidity and injunctions to suspend contract validity. These legal actions include issues related to account settlement, such as non-provision of data and non-payment, as well as the company's financial and operational problems and breach of contract.

PocketDol Studio is a major entertainment agency founded by producer Kim Kwang-soo, known as Korea's 'King Midas', who has produced numerous successful artists from the 1990s to the present. The company has also produced audition programs like 'The Unit', 'Under Nineteen', and 'After School Excitement'.

Korean netizens expressed strong support, commenting, "Hong Seong-min's courage deserves applause," "I hope all the members stay strong and show us their best," and "I will continue to support Fantasy Boys' future activities."