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Then and Now: Hangeng vs. Kris

SM Entertainment didn't always have the best of reputations. Dating "scandals" and shady tax business aside, SM is known for their history of "slave contracts". "Slave contracts" in the K-Pop world refer to how contracts used to be like back in the days, before some newer laws were set in place, with harsh terms that deny idols a say in anything and keep them bound to their label for 13 or so years. Hangeng is one of the few who fled from SM because of these unfair contracts. Most recently, Kris--or Wu Yi Fan--is breaking away from SM and EXO, giving fans a dose of 2009-dejavu. Yet while fans were mainly supportive of Hangeng taking a stand against the big baddie SM, the response to Kris's departure has been mostly negative, many even labeling him as a "traitor".  

The difference in public reaction raises a few questions. Why the hate? If Kris is Hangeng 2.0 in that he's also a Chinese celebrity accusing SM of treating him unfairly, why is Kris receiving such negative backlash compared to his sunbae? Is Kris's situation actually different from that of Hangeng? Is Kris not the victim here? 

To answer these questions, it only makes sense to compare the two cases side by side. And to make a proper comparison, we need to review the facts! Shall we?

Hangeng

In December 2001, SM sought foreign talent and went to China to hold the "H.O.T. CHINA" auditions. The competition rate was high as only 1 out of 3,000 people could pass. SM made it clear that it only wanted the best of the best. On February 6, 2005, SM introduced Hangeng, or Hankyung, to Korea as a member of the rotational boy band Super Junior. He was the first non-Korean celebrity to formally debut in the K-Pop scene.

Eight years later in December 2009, Super Junior hit jackpot with their addicting single "Sorry Sorry". After concluding promotions for the third album, however, Hangeng took both Korea and even his fellow group members by surprise as he filed for a contract termination. According to his lawyers, SM's exclusive contract with Hangeng was highly unfair as it cheated Hangeng from most of his profit and kept him bound to the company for an unlawful amount of time (13 years). Furthermore, the company had frequently forced Hangeng to do things not included in the contract and if he ever disobeyed the company, he would be fined. His lawyers also argued that Hangeng developed gastritis and kidney disease because he had been so overworked.  

In addition, back during that time, due to visa restrictions and such related matters, Hangeng was not allowed to perform on all broadcast channels in Korea. These kinds of restrictions were later lifted, but during the beginning of Hangeng's time as an idol, he was legally not allowed to perform on certain broadcast channels. Because of this, Hangeng was frequently forced to wear a mask and dance in the back to hide the fact that he was actually present.

Hangeng's lawyers made their arguments clear to the public and over time, people seemed to be understanding and supportive of Hangeng's decision. In December 2010, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in Hangeng's favor, leading the Chinese star to officially announce his solo debut in June 2010. Since his departure from SM, he has released 2 albums, been in 5 Chinese films, and has won multiple awards. Having been an already popular member during his Super Junior-M days, he is now maintaining a successful solo career in China, making regular appearances on both big and small screens.

Kris (Wu Yi Fan)

Kris debuted on April 8, 2012 as a member of EXO. He was the leader of EXO's subgroup, EXO-M, which is mainly active in China and sings in Mandarin while EXO-K promotes mainly in Korea. From the beginning of EXO's career, it was compared to its sunbae SM groups and was considered to be a combo of TVXQ's superhuman talent and Super Junior's variety and size.