The High Court Orders Lee Mi Sook to Pay $120,000 to Her Ex-Agency for Violating Exclusive Contract

The Seoul High Court ruled on February 21, “The defendant (Lee Mi Sook) must pay 121 million Korean won (nearly $120,000) in reparation to the plaintiff (The Contents Entertainment)” in the case of the violation of exclusive contracts. 

The court admitted that Lee Mi Sook violated her exclusive contracts with the Contents Entertainment, but did not fully accept the plaintiff’s allegations that was hard to prove. The judge stated, “I recognize that Lee Mi Sook violated her contracts. However, I cannot help but to just assume that the money defendant claims to have spent on the plaintiff has been squared up accordingly. As a result, I dismissed the allegation regarding such monetary compensation.”

Previously, the CEO of the Contents Entertainment sued Lee Mi Sook for 200 million Korean won worth of compensation. Initially, the court ruled that “Lee Mi Sook must pay 19.6 million Korean won to the Contents Entertainment,” but she lodged an appeal against the decision. 

As a result, the CEO of the Contents Entertainment also appealed the decision. In their appeal, the Contents Entertainment argued, “Lee Mi Sook violated her exclusive contract with us and signed another exclusive contract with Hoya Spotainment. As a result, she must pay the Contents Entertainment 20% of the profit after in her remaining contract with the company, which is 300 million Korean won.”