On July 25th, the Civil Division 31 of the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Victory Contents, ordering Ji Soo‘s former agency KeyEast to pay Victory Contents about 1.42 billion won plus delayed interest in a damages lawsuit.
Ji Soo, who was the lead in KBS 2TV’s pre-produced drama “River Where the Moon Rises”, faced allegations of school violence in March 2021, when the drama had aired up to episode 6. KeyEast admitted the allegations and apologized, but the controversy persisted. Consequently, Ji Soo left the drama when over 95% of the filming was completed. The production company then had to reshoot with actor Na In-woo, incurring significant losses.
This led to a severe conflict between Victory Contents and KeyEast. In April 2021, Victory Contents filed a lawsuit against KeyEast, seeking 3 billion won for additional production costs and actor fees due to the reshooting. Victory Contents accused KeyEast of avoiding responsibility and failing to address the damages proactively. KeyEast responded, expressing regret over the lack of an amicable resolution and promising to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, Ji Soo, who terminated his contract with KeyEast in May 2021 and ceased broadcasting activities, later sued the initial accuser and commenters for defamation in July 2021. Although all defendants were acquitted, Ji Soo contested the ruling. He enlisted in the military in October 2021, served as a public service worker, and was discharged in October last year. Ji Soo later clarified that he had resolved misunderstandings with the original accuser regarding the school violence allegations.
