#icymi
APRIL:

1- AKB48 announced that they would be dissolving the team structure in each of their Japanese sister groups to organize themselves into two separate units. Each 48G-associated group will now consist of two separate units: active members and research students. The research students team would consist of trainees yet to make their debut in an official capacity, while the main group line-up consists of all active 48 group members from their respective groups. The final team stages took place in August. Following this announcement, at least two prominent AKB48 members have chosen to graduate from the group, Honda Hitomi & Kashiwagi Yuki. Honda Hitomi will graduate in January 2024, while Kashiwagi Yuki will make her graduation in March after a whopping 17 years with the group.

2- Following the damning revelation that Hook Entertainment had been embezzling Lee Seunggi's earnings and revenue from his music career for over 18 years, the Ministry of Sports, Culture & Tourism passed an act named in the actor's honour, the 'Lee Seunggi Act'. As a result of this act, entertainment companies would be required to disclose earnings to their celebrity employees at least once a year or when requested, and the length of time that minors would be allowed to work per week would be substantially decreased based on their age, the ministry would be given the authority to investigate any claims of abuse and contracts are now required to include the length, settlement methods & cost deduction methods prior to the initial signing of the contract. We would later see this policy officially wielded through Exo CBX's payment dispute with SM Entertainment later in the year.