"2.1 billion won" unpaid: Lee Moo-jin files for a preliminary injunction to suspend exclusive contract

The silence over "2.1 billion won" and the partnership between "Lee Moo-jin" and his agency headed toward a breakdown

Singer "Lee Moo-jin", who captivated listeners with a distinctive voice, has finally stood before the courts. He crossed a point of no return by filing a "preliminary injunction to suspend the effect of an exclusive contract" against his agency, "BigPlanetMade", over the "unpaid settlement fee totaling about 2.1 billion won".

An artist turning to the judiciary: "A swift remedy for rights is needed"

On the 27th, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 50 (presiding Judge Lee Sang-hoon) opened the first hearing on the preliminary injunction filed by "Lee Moo-jin", laying out the issues at stake that sharply divide both sides. At the hearing, "Lee Moo-jin"’s legal representative took a firm stance. "We have already issued notice of "termination of the exclusive contract" because of the agency’s clear "breach of its settlement obligations"," the representative said. "As he is still being exposed online and elsewhere as a contracted artist, we need the court’s immediate decision so that he can carry out safe and independent entertainment activities going forward." The size of the "unsettled payments" they claim is a staggering "2.1 billion won", drawing intense attention from the industry.

A firm rebuttal even while saying "I can accept it" — the agency’s bitter response

The response from "BigPlanetMade" is complicated and reflects mixed feelings. The agency said it is difficult to conclude that the "unpaid settlement money" situation is solely attributable to the agency’s "fault". Still, it effectively treated the parties’ split as a fait accompli, saying, "If the artist strongly wants a "suspension of the effect of the exclusive contract", we will accept that demand." At the same time, the agency said it felt deep "self-reproach" about the way the company is leaving so coldly while they have spent a long time together, unable to hide its sense of hurt.

Fate’s "three weeks": agreement or all-out battle in court

After confirming the parties’ tight differences, the panel granted a "three-week" grace period going forward and encouraged "a settlement". If the two sides fail to find a workable compromise within this golden window, an uncontrollable "court battle" is expected to begin in earnest. The "Lee Moo-jin" side, which informed the agency of "termination of the exclusive contract" last March and filed for a preliminary injunction with the court on the 7th of this month, is reportedly conducting a careful review of a "main case lawsuit" aimed at getting the "2.1 billion won" returned, regardless of whether the preliminary injunction is granted. Attention is on how far the fallout from this "settlement fee dispute"—one that has hit the music industry hard—will reach.