Singer and musical theater star Ok Joo-hyun has apologized after her one-person agency, TOI Entertainment, drew scrutiny for operating without the required talent-management registration in South Korea. She says the company is now taking corrective steps.
In a Sept. 10 statement, TOI acknowledged that while setting up the company in April 2022, parts of the paperwork were missed due to unfamiliarity with administrative procedures, and the team failed to complete registration on time.
“This happened because of my own shortcomings, and there’s no excuse,” Ok said, adding, “Once we realized the mistake, we immediately began the remedy process and submitted the registration application on Sept. 10. We’re currently awaiting the result.”
Under South Korea’s Act on the Development of the Pop Culture Industry, talent agencies must be registered. Operating without registration can be punished by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.
“I never intended to bypass legal procedures or run the company unlawfully,” she emphasized. “Going forward, I’ll work with professionals to ensure every administrative step is handled properly. I sincerely apologize to those who have supported me for any concern this has caused.”
TOI represents Ok Joo-hyun as well as fellow musical theater actor Lee Ji-hye.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)