[Exclusive]Lee Seung-gi, "Disputes Ruling Requiring Payment of 690 Million Won in Settlement Funds"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A lawsuit filed by singer and actor Lee Seung-gi against his former agency Hook Entertainment (now Chorongbaem Media) over settlement funds will be heard again in court following appeals from both parties.

According to StarNews, Hook Entertainment submitted an appeal document on the 1st disputing the first-instance ruling in the settlement lawsuit filed by Lee Seung-gi against Hook Entertainment. Subsequently, Lee Seung-gi also filed an appeal on the 8th, leading to the resumption of court proceedings.

Previously, on August 28, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Collegiate Panel No. 20 ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff, stating that "Hook Entertainment must pay approximately 690 million won out of the roughly 830 million won claimed by Lee Seung-gi."

Earlier, Lee Seung-gi filed a lawsuit in February demanding distribution of revenue from music and album earnings that Hook Entertainment continued to collect after terminating their exclusive contract in December 2022. In response, Hook Entertainment argued that settlement obligations only arise if there is a separate agreement, even if certain revenues are obtained after the expiration of the exclusive contract.

However, the court ruled in Lee Seung-gi's favor, stating, "Even without a separate settlement agreement, the obligation to settle must be fulfilled. Allowing the party that breached the contract to gain more profit than one who adheres to it would severely violate the principles of good faith and equity."

Nevertheless, not all of Lee Seung-gi's demands regarding the settlement ratio were accepted. Lee Seung-gi's side requested 70% of sales generated up to August 2024, when the contract expired, and 50% of subsequent sales. The court, considering industry practices where settlement ratios decrease after contract termination compared to during the contract period, approved 60% and 40%, respectively.

Lee Seung-gi sent a formal notice in November 2022 claiming he had never received any royalty payments from Hook Entertainment since his debut. Following this, Hook Entertainment paid approximately 5.4 billion won based on its own calculation and filed a lawsuit to confirm the non-existence of debt, to which Lee Seung-gi responded with a counterclaim.

In April last year, the court ruled that Hook Entertainment must additionally pay Lee Seung-gi approximately 580 million won in advertising commissions. The ruling became final as neither party filed an appeal.

Meanwhile, Lee Seung-gi is also embroiled in a dispute over settlement issues with Big Planet Made Entertainment, the agency he joined after Hook Entertainment.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original