In a severe blow to the rookie group FANTASY BOYS , six of the remaining members—Kang Minseo, Lee Hanbin, Hikaru, Hong Sungmin, Kim Gyurae, and Kaedan—have initiated immediate legal action against their agency, PocketDol Studio.
According to a report on November 19, 2025, the members have filed lawsuits seeking confirmation of the non-existence of their exclusive contracts, along with injunctions to suspend the contracts’ validity.
This action stems from a profound and irreparable breakdown of trust, rooted in alleged issues concerning payment, financial transparency, and severe operational neglect.
Core Allegations: Financial Mismanagement and Contractual Breach
The members’ legal complaint outlines specific and serious accusations that PocketDol Studio failed to uphold fundamental contractual and legal obligations:
- Fabricated Expenses and Non-Transparency: A primary issue cited was the agency’s failure to provide accurate and verifiable statements documenting payments and settlements. The complaint alleges that the settlement statements included items that were not actually executed or expenses that were not genuinely paid by the company, suggesting deliberate financial obfuscation.
- Phantom Employees: The contracts reportedly stipulated that substantial amounts for high labor costs would be deducted every quarter. However, the members claim that most of the employees corresponding to these costs did not actually exist or their activities could not be verified. This constitutes a severe allegation of financial impropriety and misappropriation of funds.
- Neglect of Non-Korean Members’ Status: Further compounding the operational negligence, the agency allegedly failed to process the timely extension of residency status for the non-Korean members (Hikaru and Kaedan). This failure caused restrictions on their activities and demonstrated a failure to ensure the basic legal working conditions for its artists.
FANTASY BOYS (Credit: YouTube)
Operational Failure and Deterioration of Living Conditions
Beyond the contractual and financial issues, the members have highlighted the agency’s failure to manage basic operational requirements, directly impacting their welfare.
In a highly public incident earlier in the month, member Kang Minseo disclosed via a fan messaging platform that the electricity in the group’s dorm had been cut off due to unpaid bills.
This incident served as a dramatic confirmation of the agency’s financial and administrative instability.
These collective actions led the members to conclude that the agency had violated its obligation to ensure a safe and supportive working and living environment, leading to the irreparable breakdown of the relationship.
A Pattern of Legal Conflict and Group Instability
The legal challenges faced by FANTASY BOYS are unfortunately not isolated incidents but reflect a broader pattern of conflict under PocketDol Studio:
- Group Shrinkage: FANTASY BOYS was formed in 2023 through the survival program Fantasy Boys with an original lineup of 12 members. However, even before their official debut, the first-place winner, Yu Junwon, withdrew due to insurmountable conflicts with the agency over contractual terms. Following this, member K-Soul officially left the group in January 2025, reducing the active unit to ten members before this current legal action.
- PocketDol Studio’s Track Record: The agency has a notorious history of contractual disputes, extending to its labelmates. Nam Dohyon of BAE173 successfully sued to suspend his contract in 2023 and departed the group. Most recently, BAE173 member Doha also filed a similar lawsuit, indicating a systemic problem within PocketDol Studio’s management practices.
- The six FANTASY BOYS members followed a clear legal escalation timeline: first demanding rectification on September 30, sending a contract termination notice on October 28, and finally filing the lawsuits in November. With a majority of the remaining members now seeking termination, the future of FANTASY BOYS hangs in severe uncertainty.
Since six members have filed the lawsuit, the remaining members who are not named in the complaint are Hong Seongmin, Oh Hyeontae, and Lee Hanbin.
Dating rumors involving BLACKPINK’s Lisa and BTS’s Jungkook have resurfaced yet again, this time fueled by speculation that the two K-pop stars were wearing a matching Bulgari ring.
This alleged “couple item” has ignited passionate debate on social media, though many fans and netizens are expressing strong skepticism due to other widely reported relationships.
The Viral “Couple Item” Claim
The latest wave of rumors began after Jungkook was spotted wearing a ring during a recent Weverse livestream.
- The “Evidence”: Fans of the “Lizkook” ship were quick to point out that the ring worn by Jungkook appeared to be the same design as one previously worn by Lisa.
- Brand Identification: The rings are reportedly from the luxury brand Bulgari. Lisa has a long-standing, well-documented relationship with the brand, serving as a global ambassador for their jewelry and watches, particularly for the B.zero1 collection.
- Online Traction: A post featuring the alleged matching rings quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), garnering over 1.2 million views and inspiring multiple fan videos using the rings as “evidence” of a secret romantic relationship between the two “golden maknaes.”
BLACKPINK’s Lisa (Credit: Instagram)
Fan Skepticism and Counter arguments
Despite the rings’ similarity, the majority of the reaction online has been one of ridicule and disbelief, with fans citing strong counterarguments:
- Lisa’s Reported Relationship: The most significant counterpoint is Lisa’s widely reported relationship with Frédéric Arnault, the heir to the LVMH luxury goods conglomerate. Although neither has officially confirmed the relationship, they have been repeatedly spotted together at public events, private dinners, and vacations, with reports even claiming Lisa met Arnault’s family. As one fan commented, “when will y’all accept that she is with frederic.”
- Commonality of High-End Jewelry: Given that both are global ambassadors and figures in the high-fashion world, the argument that they own the same ring from a major luxury brand like Bulgari is seen as a simple coincidence, not concrete evidence of dating.
BTS’s Jungkook (Credit: Pinterest)
- Other Dating Rumors: Fans also pointed to Jungkook’s own history of being linked to various women through unconfirmed rumors, including a recent, widely discussed rumor connecting him to an aespa member. This led one skeptical fan to say, “This post should be a lesson to those ‘matching stuff=Dating’ believers.”
In short, while the “couple ring” has resurfaced the popular “Lizkook” shipping theory, the public and fan communities are largely dismissing the speculation as circumstantial and unreliable, especially in light of Lisa’s publicly observed connection to Frédéric Arnault.
