K-Pop Star Loses 3 Billion Won Lawsuit

A K-Pop idol who had conflicts with his former agency over unauthorized departure ultimately lost the lawsuit concerning his exclusive contract. According to Star News, the Seoul Central District Court’s 31st Civil Division held a ruling hearing on October 8th for a ₩3.00 billion KRW (about $2.24 million USD) compensation lawsuit filed by Phunky Studio against Yu Junwon and ruled in favor of the plaintiff. The court also confirmed that “Yu Junwon must compensate Pocketdol Studio [parent company of Phunky Studio] ₩685 million KRW (about $511,000 USD).” This lawsuit, which began a year after its filing in September 2023, started in September 2024 and saw prolonged proceedings due to seven schedule changes and failed mediation attempts. Yu Junwon placed first in MBC’s audition program Fantasy Boys 2 in 2023 and was confirmed as part of the debut lineup. However, disputes arose over requests to increase profit shares and unauthorized team departures. Yu Junwon filed for a provisional injunction to suspend the effectiveness of his exclusive contract with Phunky Studio, which the court rejected. Subsequently, Phunky Studio reacted strongly, stating they would take firm legal action again...