ChenBaekXi of EXO and SM Entertainment have failed to reach common ground in their legal dispute.

On September 23, the Seoul Eastern District Court's 15th Civil Division held the first mediation session for SM's lawsuit against ChenBaekXi regarding contract fulfillment. ChenBaekXi's countersuit over settlement payments was also reviewed.

The session, held privately for about 30 minutes with only legal representatives present, ended without an agreement. The court has scheduled the second mediation for October 2.

ChenBaekXi had notified SM of contract termination in June 2023, citing issues with incomplete financial records. The group also filed a petition with the Fair Trade Commission.

Both parties later agreed to maintain an exclusive contract only for EXO's group activities, while ChenBaekXi pursued individual schedules under their new agency, INB100.

However, SM filed a lawsuit in April last year, claiming ChenBaekXi had failed to honor the agreement to pay 10% of revenue from solo activities. In response, ChenBaekXi countersued, demanding legal review of the original settlement issues. On September 1, the court merged the two cases into a mediation process.