From Sung Si-kyung to Blackpink's Lisa: Top Stars Fall Victim to Manager Betrayals

As singer Sung Si-kyung faces reports of being defrauded by his manager, past incidents involving other top artists who were betrayed by trusted managers are resurfacing, sending shockwaves through the industry.

In 2020, global sensation Blackpink's member Lisa was reportedly scammed out of billions of won by a manager she had worked with since her debut. The manager, who held a position of deep trust not only within YG Entertainment but also among the other Blackpink members, allegedly misused his relationship with Lisa to solicit funds for real estate investments.

However, reports surfaced that the manager squandered the substantial sum, reportedly over 1 billion won, on gambling and other vices. YG Entertainment confirmed the incident, stating, "We have confirmed that Lisa suffered financial damage from former manager A. Following Lisa's wish for an amicable resolution due to their past trust, A has partially reimbursed the funds and agreed to a repayment plan before resigning."

The agency added, "We apologize to the fans for causing concern. We are taken aback by the actions of Mr. A, who abused the trust placed in him, and we deeply regret our oversight in management and supervision. We are implementing measures to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring."

Singer Son Dam-bi also shared a harrowing experience from her peak popularity, where a manager she trusted stole everything from her home. Appearing on JTBC's 'Knowing Bros', she revealed, "During a very busy period, I gave my manager my home password. He then hired movers and stole every single item from my house. There was nothing left."

Son Dam-bi recalled how, despite their close relationship, the manager took everything from furniture down to her underwear. It was later revealed that the manager was heavily in debt due to gambling. "He was eventually caught, but all my belongings were sold, and I couldn't recover anything," she confessed, revealing the lasting trauma.

More recently, reports on March 3rd indicated that Sung Si-kyung also suffered financial losses due to his manager of over ten years, stemming from work-related issues. His agency, SK Jaewon, released a statement: "We have confirmed that the former manager engaged in acts that betrayed the company's trust during his employment. We are currently investigating the exact extent of the damages, and the employee has since resigned."

Korean netizens expressed shock and sympathy, commenting, "It must be devastating to be betrayed by someone you trusted so much," and "If top stars can experience this, imagine how much harder it is for ordinary people." Many also called for a review of management systems within the entertainment industry.