The Civil Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Victory Contents on July 25th, ordering KeyEast, former agency of Kim Ji Soo, to pay approximately 1.42 billion won plus delayed interest in a damages lawsuit.
In March 2021, during the airing of KBS 2TV’s pre-produced drama “River Where the Moon Rises”, lead actor Ji Soo was accused of school violence. Despite KeyEast’s admission and apology, the controversy continued to linger. As a result, Ji Soo departed from the drama after the completion of over 95% of filming, causing significant financial losses for the production company. Actor Na In-woo was brought in to reshoot the remaining scenes.
As a result, a serious dispute arose between Victory Contents and KeyEast. In April 2021, Victory Contents took legal action against KeyEast, demanding 3 billion won to cover the extra production expenses and actor fees incurred during the reshoot. Victory Contents alleged that KeyEast had shirked its responsibilities and failed to handle the damages in a proactive manner. In response, KeyEast expressed remorse for the inability to reach a mutually agreeable resolution and pledged to resolve the matter.
In May 2021, Ji Soo terminated his contract with KeyEast and stopped appearing in broadcasts. In July 2021, he filed a defamation lawsuit against the initial accuser and commenters. Although all defendants were found not guilty, Ji Soo appealed the decision. He began his military service in October 2021 as a public service worker and was discharged in October of the following year. Recently, Ji Soo clarified that he had resolved any misunderstandings with the original accuser regarding the allegations of school violence.
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