Kara members end deals with DSP Media

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Four members of the girl group Kara, after sweeping both Korea and Japan with their popular music and dance, announced the termination of their contract with their agency, Wednesday.

Landmark, a law firm representing four of the five group members — Han Seung-yeon, Gu Ha-ra, Nicole Jung and Kang Ji-young — said Wednesday that the exclusive contract is no longer valid and called on the agency to stop all management activities.

The group's leader Park Gyu-lee did not join the move.

The remaining four members said through the law firm that they cannot trust the agency anymore.

"Kara is in full bloom in Korea and Japan, but the agency is trying to use the girl group only for commercial purposes, and the members could not take it anymore," their legal representative Hong Myung-ho of Landmark said.

The four members said that they are deeply distressed and disappointed by the agency’s misuse of its power which forced them to engage in unwanted activities and sometimes face personal insults. They finally made the decision after suffering from depression and frustration for years, the legal firm said.

DSP Media said they are looking into the issue as they just received the notification. "We will announce our official position later," an official of the agency said.

Since Park is excluded from the move, the entertainment industry is worried that Kara might end up disbanding like TVXQ and JYJ.

The five-member girl group debuted in 2007 with their first album "Blooming." Their hit songs include "Pretty Girl," "Wanna" and "Lupin."

Last year, they expanded their wings to Japan achieving further success. Kara's first single in Japan, "Mister," entered the Oricon Chart in August and reached No. 2, becoming the first non-Japanese Asian group to do so.

They recently starred in the Japanese drama "URAKARA” as the main cast members.