Kang Ji-hwan Ordered to Pay 3.4 Billion Won to Former Agency Over Sexual Assault Case
Nov 07, 2024
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On the 6th, the Seoul High Court's Civil Division 6-1 (presided by Judges Kim Je-wook, Kang Kyung-pyo, and Lee Kyung-hoon) partially ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by Kang’s former agency, Jellyfish Entertainment (hereafter "Jellyfish"). This ruling overturned a previous trial decision in November last year that had ruled against the agency, now concluding that Kang Ji-hwan must pay 3.48 billion won to Jellyfish.
The case originated in 2019, when Kang Ji-hwan was arrested for sexually assaulting and harassing two outsourced staff members at his home during the filming of the drama 'Joseon Survival Period.' He was subsequently sentenced to two and a half years in prison with three years of probation, which resulted in his removal from the drama. Following these events, the drama production company filed a 6.38 billion won lawsuit against Jellyfish and Kang Ji-hwan, seeking compensation for production disruptions. The court ultimately ruled that Kang and Jellyfish were jointly liable to pay 5.3 billion won to the production company, a ruling confirmed by the Supreme Court last year.
In the current appeal, Jellyfish sought reimbursement of 3.48 billion won from Kang Ji-hwan, arguing that their contract contained a clause obligating him to cover any third-party compensation paid by the agency due to his actions. The court ruled in favor of Jellyfish, noting, “There is a contractual clause stipulating that Kang Ji-hwan is liable for compensation if the agency is required to compensate a third party due to reasons attributable to him under the exclusive contract.” The court emphasized Kang’s personal responsibility, adding, “The incident took place in a private context, meaning the agency had no duty to supervise Kang Ji-hwan’s actions.”
As a result of this ruling, Kang Ji-hwan is now required to pay approximately 3.4 billion won in compensation to his former agency.
mj.cho@sportschosun.com
