A former K-pop trainee, once slated to debut in an idol group, has been ordered to pay damages after breaking her contract by getting a tattoo without approval and leaving her agency’s dormitory without permission.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled that the trainee must pay 5 million KRW (about 3,660 USD) in damages, a fraction of the 80 million KRW (approximately 58,630 USD) the entertainment agency sought.
On Monday, legal sources reported that Judge Lee Baek Kyu of the Seoul Central District Court found the trainee responsible for damages in a lawsuit filed by the agency.
The trainee entered into an exclusive contract with the agency in June 2018, which outlined profit-sharing terms but also imposed strict behavioral restrictions typical of K-pop idols. The agreement prohibited actions that could damage the trainee’s public image, including unconventional hairstyles, tattoos, dating, partying, drinking, and smoking. Any violations of these rules would result in a penalty of 30 million KRW (about 22,000 USD) per incident.
Breach of Contract and the Derailed Debut
In October 2018, the trainee left the agency’s dormitory without permission and was caught. She also received a warning for getting a small tattoo on the back of her neck. These violations, along with deteriorating relations with fellow trainees, led to the trainee’s exclusion from the group, which eventually occurred in June 2019.
The agency sued the trainee for breach of contract, seeking over 80 million KRW (around 58,630 USD) in damages, which included compensation for contract termination and penalties for her actions.
While the court acknowledged that the trainee’s unauthorized departure and tattoo were clear violations of the contract, it emphasized that the severity of the offenses was minor. The court explained, “Given that the unauthorized departure was a one-time incident and the tattoo was small and discreet, the violations were not substantial.”
Ultimately, the court ruled that any penalty exceeding 5 million KRW (approximately 3,660 USD) would go against public morals. As a result, the trainee was only required to pay a fraction of the damages initially sought by the agency.
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