TS Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | October 2008 |
| Founder | Kim Tae-song |
| Defunct | January 31, 2021 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Seoul , South Korea |
Area served | South Korea, Japan |
Key people | Kim Tae-song (founder and CEO; deceased 2018) |
| Products | Music production, artist management |
TS Entertainment (also recognized as TS ENTER, ) was a South Korean entertainment company and record label established in 2008 by Kim Tae-song (). Headquartered in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea, the agency managed several idol groups including Untouchable, Secret, B.A.P., Sonamoo, and TRCNG.
During the 2010s, TS Entertainment encountered numerous legal disputes initiated by artists and employees who accused the company of workplace mistreatment, extortion, and withholding wages. The agency ceased operations quietly in January 2021, with all contractual agreements with artists concluding by 2022.
History
Founded by Kim Tae-song in October 2008, TS Entertainment introduced Untouchable with their debut single "It's Okay" in the same month.
In October 2009, the company launched the four-member girl group Secret through the reality program Secret Story broadcast on Mnet. Their debut track "I Want You Back" was released on October 13, 2009.
TS Entertainment broadened its reach internationally by opening TS Japan in Tokyo, Japan, in July 2011.
January 2012 marked the debut of the six-member boy band B.A.P, who were introduced via the documentary Ta-Dah, It's B.A.P aired on SBS MTV Korea.
On December 29, 2014, TS Entertainment unveiled the seven-member girl group Sonamoo.
The boy group TRCNG made their debut on October 10, 2017.
Founder and CEO Kim Tae-song passed away on April 28, 2018.
In September 2019, a former staff member filed a complaint against TS Entertainment with the Ministry of Employment and Labor regarding delayed wage payments; this matter was subsequently referred to prosecutors.
TS Entertainment quietly discontinued its business on January 31, 2021, shortly followed by the removal of its official website.
In March 2023, an authentic MAMA award won by B.A.P surfaced at a flea market in the Philippines, provoking fan backlash over how the company handled its assets post-closure.
B.A.P's lawsuit
On November 27, 2014, all six members of B.A.P initiated legal action to nullify their contracts with TS Entertainment, citing inequitable contract terms and profit sharing. TS Entertainment refuted these allegations the following day, asserting there was no mistreatment or unjust clauses involved. By August 1, 2015, both sides reached an agreement resulting in B.A.P’s return to the agency.
Jieun and Hyoseong's lawsuit
In 2017, Jieun sought arbitration through the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board which led to her exit from both Secret and TS Entertainment; she publicly announced this via Instagram. On March 5, 2018, Hyoseong filed a civil suit to terminate her contract and subsequently left Secret as well. After their departures, TS Entertainment officially confirmed that Secret had disbanded.
Sleepy's lawsuit
On September 14, 2019, Sleepy from Untouchable filed suit to end his contract with TS Entertainment due to loss of trust after the company declined to provide payment records and a physical copy of his contract. He also alleged that he had not been compensated for activities spanning up to ten years post-signing. TS Entertainment denied these accusations and countered by accusing Sleepy of embezzlement—a charge he rejected. The next day, TS Entertainment was referred to prosecutors over unpaid artist wages.
Lawsuits filed by Sumin and Nahyun
On September 23, 2019, Sonamoo members Sumin and Nahyun initiated legal action to annul their contracts, citing TS Entertainment's failure to formally conclude their agreements despite having received content certification documents in May. TS Entertainment responded by stating that the two artists ceased communication unexpectedly after submitting the paperwork and affirmed that Sonamoo would proceed as a quintet.
Legal action by Wooyeop and Taeseon
On November 4, 2019, Wooyeop and Taeseon, members of TRCNG, terminated their contracts with TS Entertainment and lodged a criminal complaint against the agency. They accused company officials and staff of child abuse, assault, and extortion. The duo described exhausting practice sessions lasting from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m., with only a few hours of rest before returning at 10 a.m. Both trainees reported substandard living conditions during their minority, including insufficient meals, frequent electrical outages, and defective air conditioning, plumbing, and water filtration systems. Additionally, Wooyeop alleged that Yoon, TRCNG's choreography director, physically attacked him using a metal chair. Taeseon also revealed he faced continual physical abuse since his trainee period.
Ex-recording artists
- Untouchable (2008–2019)
- Secret (2009–2018)
- Han Sun-hwa (2009–2016)
- Jun Hyo-seong (2009–2018)
- Song Ji-eun (2009–2018)
- Jung Ha-na (2009–2021)
- B.A.P. (2012–2019)
- Sonamoo (2014–2021)
- Sumin (2014–2019)
- Nahyun (2014–2019)
- Euijin (2014–2021)
- Minjae (2014–2021)
- NewSun (2014–2021)
- D.ana (2014–2021)
- High.D (2014–2021)
- TRCNG (2017–2022)
- Taeseon (2017–2019)
- Wooyeop (2017–2019)
- Jihun (2017–2022)
- Hayoung (2017–2022)
- Hakmin (2017–2022)
- Jisung (2017–2022)
- Hyunwoo (2017–2022)
- Siwoo (2017–2022)
- Hohyeon (2017–2022)
- Kangmin (2017–2022)
Former acting talents
- Han Soo-yeon (2011–2017)