▲ Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi
Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi has achieved another partial victory in a lawsuit filed against his former agency, Hook Entertainment (currently Chorokbaem Media), demanding music revenue generated after the termination of his exclusive contract.
On August 28, Civil Division 20 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Min-chul) ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff in the settlement fund lawsuit filed by Lee against Hook Entertainment.
The court ordered the agency to pay approximately 690 million won out of the claimed amount of about 830 million won.
Previously, Lee filed a lawsuit in February demanding a distribution of profits, arguing that Hook Entertainment continued to generate music and album revenue even after their exclusive contract was terminated in December 2022.
Hook Entertainment had argued that once the exclusive contract ended, it had no obligation to settle revenue unless a separate agreement was established, even if it continued to acquire certain profits thereafter.
The court sided with Lee.
The ruling concluded that the agency remains obligated to settle accounts with Lee even if a separate settlement agreement was not reached.
The court explained, "Instead of tentative expressions such as 'can settle,' the main text of the exclusive contract uses definitive expressions such as 'settles,' thereby clarifying that settlement between the plaintiff and the defendant must be executed when revenue is generated."
Regarding Hook Entertainment's claim that a settlement obligation arises only when a separate agreement exists, the court pointed out, "Interpreting it this way would allow the defendant to induce the early termination of the contract by failing to fulfill its obligations and then refuse a settlement agreement, enabling the defendant to 100 percent acquire the profits earned from the plaintiff's entertainment activities without any settlement."
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