Lee Seung Gi Sues Hook Entertainment CEO And Directors For Embezzlement And Fraud

Lee Seung Gi has filed a legal complaint against the CEO of Hook Entertainment (hereafter Hook) as well as the agency’s former and current directors.

On December 22, Lee Seung Gi’s legal representative released a lengthy statement regarding their legal complaint. They stated, “This morning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, we filed a complaint against Hook Entertainment’s CEO as well as [the agency’s] former and current directors.”

They continued, “Like it has been reported many times, Hook hid the fact that music profits were being generated by Lee Seung Gi for approximately 18 years since his debut, and they did not pay [Lee Seung Gi]. Regarding this, we filed a legal complaint against Hook Entertainment CEO Kwon Jin Young and the financial directors on the suspicions of violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment etc. of Specific Economic Crimes (occupational embezzlement) and (fraud).”

Furthermore, Lee Seung Gi learned through a recent report that Hook’s former and current directors deceived him and also did not pay a part of his advertisement model profits. His legal representative stated, “Lee Seung Gi believed that approximately 10 percent was paid to the advertisement agency under the title of ‘agency commission,’ but it appears that in actuality, Hook Entertainment’s former and current directors did not pay a part of the agency commission to the ad agency and [instead] shared it amongst themselves.”

Only when Lee Seung Gi raised this issue did Hook Entertainment acknowledge this and paid Lee Seung Gi approximately 630 million won (approximately $500,000). Lee Seung Gi’s legal representative stated that they sued Kwon Jin Young and three directors for fraud and occupational embezzlement.

They continued, “Lee Seung Gi has never reached an agreement with Hook regarding music fees and payment. Despite this, on the morning of December 16, 2022, Hook without prior notice transferred about 4.81 billion won (approximately $3.8 million) of unsettled payment for music and defrauded advertising payment and filed a confirmation of non-existence of debt lawsuit against Lee Seung Gi.” The legal representative added that Lee Seung Gi learned of this through a new report, and he has yet to receive the complaint.

Furthermore, there is a significant gap between the amount that has been transferred and the amount Lee Seung Gi understands to be the unpaid amount. The legal representative stated, “While simultaneously responding to the lawsuit on the confirmation of non-existence of debt, we will file a counter lawsuit, and we plan on claiming damages against Hook and related personnel for unpaid music fees and illegal acts.”

Previously, Hook Entertainment stated that the agency transferred Lee Seung Gi his unpaid earnings of 2.9 billion won (approximately $2.2 million), as well as 1.2 billion won (approximately $900,000) worth of delayed interest, in full. After this, Lee Seung Gi took to Instagram to share that he will donate all of his unpaid earnings besides legal fees.

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