Singer and actor Lee Seung Gi has won a lawsuit against his former agency, Hook Entertainment (now Chorokbaement Entertainment), over unpaid settlement fees. 

On April 4, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 20 (Presiding Judge Lee Se Ra) issued its ruling on the lawsuit regarding the confirmation of non-existence of debt, which had been filed by Hook Entertainment against Lee Seung Gi. Only the lawyers from both sides attended the hearing.

The court ruled, "Chorokbaement Entertainment must pay Lee Seung Gi 581,470,000 KRW (about $403,000)," and "all claims for additional fees and returns by Chorokbaement Entertainment are rejected." The lawsuit’s costs were ordered to be split equally between the plaintiff and defendant.

Previously, Lee Seung Gi filed a lawsuit against former Hook CEO Kwon Jin Yeong and other executives, claiming he had not received his fair share of earnings from 137 songs released since joining Hook Entertainment in 2004. He sued for breach of trust and fraud, citing violations of the Specific Economic Crimes Act, which led to charges of embezzlement and fraud.

In response, Hook Entertainment paid Lee Seung Gi a total of 540 million KRW (about $374,000), including 130 million KRW (about $90,030) in prior payments, 290 million KRW (about $200,835) in unpaid fees, and 120 million KRW (about $83,106) in delayed interest. However, Hook later filed a lawsuit claiming that they had paid an additional 410 million KRW (about $283,950), seeking to confirm there was no remaining debt.

Lee Seung Gi’s side countered, stating that the total music revenue amounted to approximately 9.6 billion KRW (about $6,648,340), indicating that the settlement was not yet complete. Lee Seung Gi also attended the court session in person on November 15, 2023, expressing frustration about the case. He remarked, "As we near the conclusion of the trial, there have been numerous misleading documents filed that are full of untruths. I plead with the court to ensure that junior artists who start their careers with dreams are not suffering from unfair settlements."

The verdict, which had been originally scheduled for January 17, was delayed after the trial was resumed on March 7. Additionally, during the lawsuit, Hook Entertainment changed its name to Chorokbaement Entertainment. This rebranding followed the acquisition of its parent company by a private equity firm, Q Capital Partners, and marked the beginning of a major restructuring effort to improve operations. Chorokbaement Entertainment has been overhauling its management, including replacing the executive team, to maximize synergy across its business sectors and increase growth potential.

SEE ALSO: Wendy and Yeri exit SM Entertainment, remain part of Red Velvet