As allegations surfaced that the agency founded by singer and musical theater star Ok Joo-hyun had been operating without the required registration as an entertainment agency in South Korea, the company acknowledged the lapse and apologized.
On Sept. 10, TOI Entertainment said in an official statement, "It was clearly our fault that we did not complete the registration in a timely manner. We sincerely apologize for causing concern."
The company denied any intent to skirt the law. "We did not deliberately avoid legal procedures or operate illegally," it said. "When we launched the company three years ago, we prepared the registration and even completed the required online training, but it appears the paperwork was missed in subsequent administrative steps. We are identifying the cause and will immediately complete the registration process."
TOI also pushed back on reports it had been "unreachable." "Our response was delayed due to performance schedules, but we did not avoid communication," the statement read. "This incident is a wake-up call to tighten our administrative processes, and we will do our best to maintain the public’s trust."
Earlier, a local outlet reported that TOI Entertainment, founded last year, and Ok’s previous one-person agency, Title Role, were not listed on the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA)’s Pop Culture and Arts Information System. Under Korea’s Act on the Development of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry, corporations and individuals must register to conduct entertainment agency business.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)