The K-pop group EXO is facing yet another challenge in their journey towards a comeback.

In February, Baekhyun was discharged from military service and teased EXO's first complete group comeback in four years. However, the road to their comeback has been anything but smooth.

EXO encountered an unexpected obstacle in May when news broke of Kai's sudden military enlistment. However, SM Entertainment, their management company, announced the release of EXO's 7th full album in the third quarter and continued preparations for their new album release.

The comeback was hit with another blow when Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen announced their intent to terminate their exclusive contracts with SM Entertainment on the 1st. The three had appointed attorney Lee Jae-hak from the law firm Lin to relay their decision, citing SM's refusal to provide transparent settlement data as the cause.

In response, SM argued that they will take legal action against outside forces engaging in illegal practices, luring their artists with unreasonable offers and double contracts. They countered the accusations by stating that the settlement data is always available for review.

Following this, both parties released multiple official positions over five days. On the 4th, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen filed a complaint against SM Entertainment for 'abuse of superior bargaining position' through the electronic receipt of the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

Despite the ongoing disputes, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen continued to participate in EXO-related schedules as planned, demonstrating their commitment to the group. The comeback date was also set for July 10th, with the release of their 7th full album 'EXIST'. Promotions for the comeback proceeded as planned. Later, on the 19th, SM Entertainment and the members announced that they had resolved their differences and reached a mutual agreement.

With the conflict resolved and preparations for the comeback in full swing, news on the 28th of EXO's cancellation of a web content recording drew attention. It was reported that EXO had cancelled their recording for Dingo Music's 'Killing Voice' a day before the scheduled date due to a member deciding not to attend.

Regarding this, SM Entertainment explained to OSEN, "We requested to change the recording date because we needed more time to rehearse for the new song. We are coordinating the shooting schedule with the production team."

Dingo Music also confirmed to OSEN that "the recording of Killing Voice is currently being rescheduled for another day. As far as we know, the schedule has been changed to secure the artists' live rehearsal schedules in order to present higher-quality live content."

Despite the reasoning given for the schedule change, there's continued speculation surrounding the situation. As the tumultuous time leading up to EXO's comeback continues, all eyes are on what activities EXO will undertake next.

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