South Korea’s Supreme Court has finalized a ruling ordering actor Ji Soo’s former agency, KeyEast, to compensate the production company behind River Where the Moon Rises after the actor’s abrupt departure from the drama amid his 2021 school bullying controversy. The decision officially brings an end to a years-long legal dispute over the financial losses caused by the production’s extensive reshoots.

According to the legal community on July 6, KeyEast withdrew its appeal on June 24 in the damages lawsuit filed by drama production company Canvas N (formerly Victory Contents). As a result, the Seoul High Court’s ruling requiring KeyEast to pay ₩880 million (approximately $640,000 USD) in damages has become final. Canvas N had also appealed the appellate ruling, seeking additional compensation, but the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal.

The legal dispute dates back to March 2021, when allegations surfaced online accusing Ji Soo (real name Kim Ji Soo) of committing school violence during his student years. After acknowledging parts of the allegations and issuing a public apology, Ji Soo withdrew from KBS2’s historical drama River Where the Moon Rises while filming was already well underway. At the time:

  • The 20-episode drama had already completed filming for 18 episodes.
  • Six episodes had already aired on television.

Following Ji Soo’s departure, the production cast actor Na In Woo as the new male lead. The production team was forced to reshoot a significant portion of the drama, resulting in substantial additional expenses. The costs included:

  • Cast salaries
  • Staff wages
  • Location rental fees
  • Equipment costs
  • Art department expenses
  • Other production-related expenditures

Canvas N subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking approximately ₩3 billion in damages from KeyEast, arguing that the agency should bear responsibility for the financial losses caused by its actor’s departure.

In the first trial, the court sided with the production company and ordered KeyEast to pay ₩1.42 billion. However, the appellate court later recalculated the damages, reducing the compensation to ₩880 million. With KeyEast withdrawing its final appeal, that judgment has now been officially upheld.

The ruling closes one of South Korea’s most closely watched entertainment-related legal disputes. Ji Soo’s departure from River Where the Moon Rises became one of the industry’s most high-profile mid-production cast changes, requiring extensive reshoots and significantly increasing production costs.

The case also serves as a notable legal precedent regarding financial liability when an actor’s personal controversy disrupts an ongoing television production.

Sources: 네이트 뉴스