According to a JTBC report on June 20, Agency A entrusted the laundry of a 10-member male idol group’s costumes to a Seoul-based laundry specializing in idol outfits. Since the group’s debut two years ago, the agency has consistently requested laundry services for every schedule but has never paid the fees, resulting in an unpaid bill exceeding 12 million won.
The laundry service is not the only affected party; stylists, costume designers, and repair services have also reportedly been unpaid, with outstanding amounts in the tens of millions of won. Agency A ignored contact attempts until the laundry service threatened legal action, at which point the agency paid 5 million won but then became unresponsive again. The laundry service stated, “When we told them at court, ‘We’re filing now, so pay the outstanding amount,’ they claimed they had no money. They were defiant at first, but now they’re asking, ‘Why can’t you wait a little longer?'” Despite claiming financial difficulties, Agency A debuted a new idol group last week.
The chairman of Agency A was identified as Mr. Kim, a first-generation entertainment planner who has debuted several famous singers since the 1990s. As media coverage began, Agency A claimed it was an “accounting team mistake” and promised to “immediately settle the unpaid fees for the past two years.”