Seoul Joint Performance Refund Fee Waived, Cancellation Tickets Flood In
Billions Won in Losses Expected from Performances and Advertisements
Kim Ho-jung, Agency CEO Travel Ban Imposed
Trot singer Kim Ho-joong pushed ahead with scheduled performances despite a hit-and-run drunk driving incident, but disruptions to remaining concerts and advertising schedules have made tens of billions of won in financial losses inevitable.
400 Billion Won Worth of Cancelled Tickets Flood In... “Kim Ho-joong to Bear Cancellation Fees”
Kim Ho-joong caused a hit-and-run accident in Gangnam, Seoul on the 9th and has consistently denied drunk driving allegations, saying, "I went to a bar but did not drink." He proceeded with the Goyang concerts on the 11th and 12th and the Changwon concerts on the 18th and 19th as scheduled, and admitted to the charges on the 19th, ten days after the incident. He only admitted to drunk driving after finishing the Changwon concerts. If all four concerts had been canceled, it would have meant losing about 4 billion won in ticket sales revenue.
He is also pushing ahead with the 'World Union Orchestra Super Classic: Kim Ho-joong & Primadonna' concerts at Seoul KSPO Dome on the 23rd and 24th. 'Super Classic' is a performance by a united team of active members from the world’s four major orchestras: Austria’s Vienna Philharmonic, Germany’s Berlin Philharmonic, the United States’ New York Philharmonic, and the Netherlands’ Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (RCO). All 20,000 seats sold out on the first day of ticket sales on the 3rd.
However, after Kim Ho-joong became embroiled in the hit-and-run drunk driving allegations, KBS, the concert organizer, demanded on the 16th that the promoter Dumir find a replacement for Kim Ho-joong. When the request was not accepted, KBS terminated the contract to use its name for the event. The KBS Symphony Orchestra also decided not to perform at concerts featuring Kim Ho-joong.
Initially, the ticket cancellation fee was 30% of the amount if canceled 1-2 days before the event, but as criticism intensified, the organizer changed the refund policy. With the cancellation fee waived, about 6,500 tickets had been canceled as of the 21st, nearly one-third of all seats. Dumir stated, "Unless Kim Ho-joong gives up performing, the concert cannot be canceled," adding, "Performance fees have already been paid to the performers." Ticket prices for this concert range from 150,000 to 230,000 won, with expected sales revenue of about 4 billion won if sold out. If Kim Ho-joong personally covers all ticket cancellation fees, it could mean paying about 1.2 billion won in cancellation fees alone. Additional losses from concert revenue and damages are separate.
The concert scheduled for the 1st and 2nd of next month in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, is also likely to be canceled as SBS Medianet, a co-organizer, has notified its withdrawal. Given the scale of the fallout, Gimcheon City may also cancel the rental of the Gimcheon Indoor Gymnasium, the concert venue. If the concert is canceled, ticket refunds and compensation for venue rental fees, labor costs, and equipment rental fees will likely be required.
Aftermath of Tens of Billions in Penalties?
Kim Ho-joong is currently an exclusive model for a massage device and earphone brand, but both companies removed advertisements featuring his face after the controversy erupted. Industry sources say Kim Ho-joong’s modeling fee is around 200 million won.
Advertising contracts typically include clauses stating that the model must not violate laws, cause social controversies, engage in morally reprehensible acts, or damage the brand image. Although penalty fees are confidential, if a contract is breached due to legal violations causing social controversy, the penalty can be about two to three times the contract value. Depending on the investigation results, penalties for two advertisements alone could exceed 1 billion won.
The broadcasting industry is moving toward Kim Ho-joong’s removal. On the 17th, KBS completely edited out Kim Ho-joong’s winning episode from 'Pyeonstorang.' Convenience store GS25 had planned to launch the winning menu but fully withdrew the plan.
Fan backlash is also fierce. Over 300 members left the solid online fan club cafe 'Tbaroti' after Kim Ho-joong admitted to drunk driving. After belatedly confessing, Kim Ho-joong posted on the cafe, "I will return after all results are out," effectively hinting at a comeback rather than self-reflection.
Kim Ho-joong was booked on charges including hit-and-run (failure to stop after an accident under the Road Traffic Act) after hitting a taxi on a road in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul around 11:40 p.m. on the 9th and fleeing. Three hours after the accident, his manager A appeared at the police station wearing Kim Ho-joong’s clothes and claimed responsibility for the accident. Kim Ho-joong appeared at the police station 17 hours later, admitted to driving but denied drunk driving. On the 17th, the Gangnam Police Station received urine test results from the National Forensic Service indicating that Kim Ho-joong had consumed alcohol before the accident.
It was revealed that Kim Ho-joong had at least two drinking sessions before the accident. On the day of the accident, he and five companions ordered seven bottles of soju and three bottles of beer at a restaurant in Gangnam-gu. They then went to a nightclub, and CCTV captured him calling a designated driver to go home. Nevertheless, his agency, Think Entertainment, consistently denied the allegations, saying, "He absolutely did not drink." On the 19th, he reversed his stance, saying, "I drove under the influence and deeply regret and reflect on it," and apologized sincerely for disappointing many people due to his poor judgment.
The police have imposed travel bans on Kim Ho-joong and four others, including the agency’s CEO. Kim Ho-joong appeared at the police station on the afternoon of the 21st. The police also plan to investigate whether he was involved in any organized cover-up related to the accident.
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