Actress Seo Hyo Rim has been waiting for her unpaid appearance fees for a staggering four years, and despite winning a lawsuit, the situation remains unresolved. She has yet to receive over 100 million KRW in unpaid wages from her former agency.
Seo Hyo Rim has been suffering from unpaid appearance fees dating back to May 2021. This includes payments for her work in the popular drama The Red Sleeve, the movie Indream, and other variety shows and advertisements.
In 2022, Seo Hyo Rim took legal action against her former agency Majic and its CEO Kim Sun Ok, demanding 89 million KRW in unpaid fees. The court ruled in Seo Hyo Rim’s favor, but the money is still unpaid. With interest, the amount she is owed has now risen to 120 million KRW.
Seo Hyo Rim’s side told Dispatch, “Even after the court ruled in our favor, they just keep saying, ‘We can’t pay.’” They added, “They keep making excuses like paying a little bit every month or saying they’ll pay once they get a lump sum of money.”
In October, Seo Hyo Rim reached out to the Korea Actors Association for help. She submitted a request for mediation and filed a complaint about the unpaid fees.
A Korea Actors Association official said, “We are reviewing the materials submitted by both parties.” The official also mentioned, “Appearance fees are a critical issue for both actors and agencies. We will carefully review all the details based on the facts.”
But why is CEO Kim Sun Ok delaying the payments? She explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to pay, but I just can’t right now.” Kim added that her agency is facing financial difficulties and she does not have the funds to pay Seo Hyo Rim.
In a phone interview with Dispatch, CEO Kim said, “The financial situation has been tough. I promised to pay little by little and to pay back once we have enough money, but Seo Hyo Rim rejected that.”
She continued, “I do intend to repay according to the mediation of the Korea Actors Association.” She also said, “If this continues to get reported, it could affect the other actors under the agency. It’s really hard.”
Meanwhile, another unpaid appearance fee case has surfaced involving the late actress Kim Soo Mi. Her estate is owed 160 million KRW for her performance in the musical Mother-in-Law.
The company involved, Rebyte United, is affiliated with Ilgwang Group, a defense industry company. This company is also facing controversies about unpaid staff wages and a contract dispute with the girl group IDOL.
It seems the battle over unpaid appearance fees is far from over, as Seo Hyo Rim and others continue to wait for the money they are owed.
Source: [1]
