Singer and actor Lee Seung Gi has won his legal battle against his former agency, Hook Entertainment, over unpaid royalties and withheld accounting records.
On April 8th KST, Big Planet Made Entertainment released parts of the court’s ruling, which criticized Hook’s actions as intentional or, at the very least, grossly negligent. The court stated, “Hook’s failure to provide accounting records and pay Lee Seung Gi his rightful royalties constitutes a serious breach of the trust built between the two parties.”
The court emphasized that Hook had a legal and contractual obligation to disclose Lee’s earnings, yet failed to do so for over 10 years. The ruling added, “Hook maintained exclusive control over Lee Seung Gi’s music-related revenue data, making it difficult for the artist to recognize any breach of contract or unpaid royalties.”
Lee Seung Gi initially raised the issue in 2022, when he sent a formal notice to Hook regarding the termination of his exclusive contract and demanded accounting records and unpaid profits. He claimed he had received zero revenue for his 137 released songs since debuting in 2004, despite generating an estimated 9.6 billion KRW (~6.5 million USD) in music sales. Records from 2004 to August 2009 were reportedly missing and could not be verified.
Hook later paid Lee approximately 5.4 billion KRW(~3.7 million USD) but bizarrely demanded 900 million KRW back, citing an alleged overpayment related to advertising profits, and even filed a separate lawsuit seeking confirmation of no debt.
However, in the April 4th court ruling, the judge sided with Lee, ordering Hook to pay an additional 581 million KRW.
At a previous hearing in November, Lee Seung Gi personally addressed the court, stating: “Please make sure that younger artists, especially those who start their careers at a young age like I did, do not suffer the same injustice.”
His case sparked nationwide discussion and directly influenced the introduction of what is now informally known as the “Lee Seung Gi Law.” The amendment to the Development of Popular Culture and Arts Industry Act mandates that agencies must provide artists with annual accounting records and supporting documentation in writing.
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