Park Yoo-chun Ordered to Pay ₩500 Million in Second Trial Over Damages Lawsuit

Singer and actor Park Yoo-chun has lost his appeal in a damages lawsuit filed by his former agency, resulting in a court order to pay ₩500 million (approximately $370,000 USD).

The Seoul High Court's Civil Division 8-1 ruled that Park Yoo-chun and his former agency, Re:Cielo, must jointly compensate the management company Have Fun Together with ₩500 million plus accrued interest.

Park's side claimed the exclusive contract with Re:Cielo had been terminated, but the court did not accept this argument. In a counterclaim, Re:Cielo argued that Have Fun Together owed some settlement money. The appellate court partially accepted this, ordering Have Fun Together to pay Re:Cielo ₩470 million after calculating specific unpaid settlement amounts.

Have Fun Together had entered into a contract in January 2020 granting them exclusive management rights for Park Yoo-chun until 2024. However, Park sought to terminate this contract in May 2021. Following failed negotiations, Park and Re:Cielo sent an official notice stating the contract could be terminated if settlement payments were not made.

Have Fun Together remained unresponsive, and Park proceeded with entertainment activities through another agency, A, operated by an acquaintance, after notifying them of the contract termination. This led Have Fun Together to file an injunction in August 2021 to prohibit Park's broadcast appearances and entertainment activities, which the court granted.

Despite the injunction, Park continued his activities with the new management. Consequently, Have Fun Together sued Park, Re:Cielo, and Agency A for approximately ₩500 million in damages, alleging infringement of their management rights. The initial ruling in December 2023 similarly ordered Park and Re:Cielo to jointly pay ₩500 million plus interest, citing Park's violation of the court's injunction by engaging in activities through Agency A.

Park Yoo-chun was embroiled in controversy in 2019 after being indicted for methamphetamine use, receiving a prison sentence of 10 months suspended for two years. Despite announcing his retirement from the entertainment industry, he has since reversed that decision and continued activities overseas, particularly in Japan. This recent legal ruling presents another significant hurdle for his potential return to mainstream entertainment.