"Selling Her Ferrari Would Pay Off Small Businesses" Former & Current Employees of ONE HUNDRED Issue Second Statement

The controversy surrounding Cha Ga-won, chairman of ONE HUNDRED, continues to escalate. Although police requested an arrest warrant for Cha on charges of fraud worth 30 billion won, the request was rejected by prosecutors. Now, former and current employees of the company's affiliates have stepped forward to demand unpaid wages and an official apology.

The "Affected Employees Association of the Three Companies"—comprising former and current employees of ONE HUNDRED, Big Planet Made Entertainment, and INB100—released their second official statement on June 18, stating, "Thanks to the public's interest in our situation, Cha Ga-won's side has finally begun paying wages to employees."

However, they added, "While we have finally caught our breath, unresolved issues still remain. Dozens of employees across the three companies have yet to receive their wages, and the four major social insurance premiums for employees are still in arrears."

They continued, "Surviving day by day has been an agonizing struggle for employees due to months of unpaid wages. Cha Ga-won must immediately pay the remaining employees and settle all overdue social insurance premiums." They also revealed, "Instead of paying the overdue wages, Chairman Cha Ga-won first demanded that employees submit non-punishment request letters. This remained the case even after employees protested and released a statement under the name of the 'Affected Employees Association of the Three Companies.'"

They emphasized, "No conditions should ever be attached to wages. The responsibility for this current situation lies solely with Cha Ga-won. Paying the overdue wages is the first step, and offering a sincere apology to the employees is the second."

The association also urged the Ministry of Employment and Labor to conduct a swift and rigorous investigation. Previously, in May, the Seoul Gangnam District Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor launched a comprehensive investigation into the wage arrears at ONE HUNDRED and its affiliates.

They stated, "We understand that tens of billions of won in corporate funds were transferred to Cha Ga-won personally or to affiliated companies. The damage has been entirely borne by those who trusted Cha Ga-won and the company. Employees went unpaid, and artists left the agency after going long periods without receiving their settlements. Among the business partners who have not been paid, there are many small businesses, such as dry cleaners."

They added, "Among the victims, there are even self-deprecating remarks like, 'Selling just one of Cha Ga-won's Ferraris would be more than enough to pay off all the dry cleaning bills.' Looking at the situation so far, we expect the damage to only grow larger in the future."

Meanwhile, the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency recently requested an arrest warrant for Chairman Cha on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. However, prosecutors rejected the warrant, requesting a supplementary investigation. The police are currently investigating allegations that Chairman Cha received a large advance payment in connection with the intellectual property (IP) business of the agency's artists but failed to fulfill the contract.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)