Famous Entertainment Company Involved in Controversy Over Unpaid 12 Million Won for Idol Costume Laundry
A well-known entertainment company has become embroiled in a legal dispute after failing to pay 12 million won in laundry fees for idol stage costumes over the past two years.
According to JTBC on the 20th, Mr. A, who has operated a specialty laundry for stage costumes in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for over 10 years, has not received payment from a famous entertainment company for the past two years.
The company has entrusted Mr. A with the laundry of outfits for a 10-member male idol group that debuted two years ago, but there has not been a single instance of normal payment being made.
Mr. A explained, "I think the laundry counts to about 200 to 300 times. I continued the work because of the trust with the styling team. If I said I wouldn't do it for this team, the styling team wouldn't be able to work either, so I had no choice."
The Unpaid Fees and Worsening Damage
As the non-payment of laundry fees dragged on and the company avoided contact, Mr. A, unable to endure the situation any longer, warned of legal action. In response, the company belatedly deposited 5 million won but then cut off communication again.
Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "I told them I would be filing a complaint, so they should pay the overdue amount, but they said they had no money." He recounted the absurd situation, noting that they had boasted initially and now were asking, "Why can't you wait a little longer?"
The damage was not limited to Mr. A's laundry shop.
It was found that various partner companies, including styling firms, garment production companies, and alteration shops, also had not received tens of millions of won in payments. This highlights a structural issue faced by subcontractors within the entertainment industry.
Agency Claims "No Money," Yet Launches New Idol Group
Even more shocking is the fact that this agency, which claimed to have "no money," debuted a new idol group last week.
According to reports, the head of the agency is said to be Mr. Kim, a well-known first-generation entertainment planner who debuted numerous famous singers since the 1990s.
Once media coverage began, the agency changed its tone significantly, stating "it was an accounting team's mistake" and promising to pay the overdue amounts immediately.
An agency representative stated, "We will process everything today," and regarding why the payment was made only after the investigation began, he explained, "We were trying to sort out the payments, and today there is some funding that has been organized."
This incident serves as an example of the unfair transaction practices hidden behind the glamorous exterior of the K-Pop industry, revealing the difficulties faced by small partner companies. There is growing demand for improvements to establish a healthy ecosystem in the entertainment sector.
Image source: youtube 'jtbc news'
