By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Three of the five members of K-pop group TVXQ are creating a stir by taking legal action against their management agency. Hero, Micky and Xiah submitted Friday to the Seoul Central District Court an application for provisional disposition to terminate the validity of their contract with SM Entertainment, Yonhap News reported Saturday. Max and U-Know did not take part in the legal action.

''We confirmed that the three members' request for provisional disposition was submitted on the 31st,'' a staff member of SM Entertainment told Yonhap News. ''We are very surprised and regretful but are trying our best to understand the situation.''

Reports of dissension started circulating about a month ago. The three members were said to have conflicting interests with SM regarding their private business endeavors in the makeup industry. Max and U-Know, meanwhile, had been busy pursuing individual acting careers in TV soaps in addition to their work with the group.

This raised concern among fans about the group's potential break up. ''This is a typical problem concerning contracts in the entertainment industry and I cannot provide further details,'' the lawyer in charge of the case, identified as Im, was quoted as telling Yonhap News.

One source related to the entertainment business said that typically, conflicts of this nature are difficult to mend. ''The five members of TVXQ have been split into two groups, and the agency that fostered them is upset, and normally it's difficult to reconcile.''

But despite rumors of disbandment, SM Entertainment maintains that the band, at the height of its career, should continue performing, saying ''TVXQ is a group that represents Asia and we believe that their career should continue. We hope to figure things out soon.''

The five singers appeared all together, as planned, at Japan's A-Nation concert Saturday. They are also expected to perform Thursday at a fireworks festival in Tokyo and at SM Entertainment's SM Town Live 2009 Concert, Aug. 16 in Seoul.

TVXQ debuted in 2004 with the album ''Hug'' and shot to stardom in Korea, Japan and other parts of Asia. Their subsequent albums were well received and their fourth album, ''Mirotic,'' released last year, sold 500,000 copies here despite sluggishness in the Korean record market.

In Japan, the group has topped the Oricon daily singles chart six times and recently gave a concert at the Tokyo Dome, which is regarded as a top-tier venue. They also have staunch fan bases in China, Taiwan and Thailand.


hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr