The Sentencing Hearing is Scheduled for January 17 Next Year
Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi appeared at the hearing for unpaid settlement payments with his former agency Hook Entertainment (hereinafter Hook, CEO Kwon Jin-young) and expressed that he still has not properly received the settlement payments. He hoped that this incident would prevent younger artists from suffering the same damage.
On the morning of the 15th at 11 a.m., the Civil Division 20 of the Seoul Central District Court held a hearing on Hook's claim against Lee Seung-gi for confirmation of non-existence of debt. Lee Seung-gi arrived at the court around 10:40 a.m. wearing a black suit and a mask. Lee claimed, “I have not properly received the settlement payments,” while Hook countered, “We actually paid Lee Seung-gi more than the settlement amount.”
Lee Seung-gi and his former agency have been in litigation since 2022 over disputes regarding settlement payments. Despite releasing 27 albums and 137 songs, generating 9.6 billion KRW in revenue, Lee’s side claims he has not received any income from the music sales from the agency. Hook stated that after paying approximately 1.3 billion KRW in unpaid settlement payments and delayed interest, totaling 5.4 billion KRW, they filed a lawsuit for confirmation of non-existence of debt. Hook further claims they overpaid Lee Seung-gi by about 900 million KRW in advertising activity settlements and are seeking to recover that amount.
During the trial, Lee Seung-gi was allowed to read a prepared statement. He said, “For 18 years, I have not properly received settlements for concerts, album sales, and broadcasting activities,” and added, “Watching Hook submit documents at the court’s request, I realized that all the materials they previously claimed not to have when I requested them actually existed. Seeing the preparatory documents from Hook that try to cloud the issue makes me feel an indescribable frustration.” He expressed his grievance, saying, “They only tried to pay the settlement after I demanded it. Why do I have to ask about music income to receive it?”
He also said, “It is fortunate that the recent ‘Lee Seung-gi Incident Prevention Act’ was enacted,” but emphasized, “This is not just Hook’s issue. Young artists are still subjected to unfair treatment. I hope the court will ensure that young entertainers like me do not suffer distress over settlement payments.”
After the trial, when asked by reporters whether he had received any contact or direct communication about settlements from Hook Entertainment during the proceedings, he replied, “I have not received any contact at all. I have not heard any promises about settlement payments.”
The court set the sentencing hearing for January 17, 2025.
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