On March 17, Dispatch reported that Lee Jang Woo had been accused of fraud and failing to pay a debt of 40 million KRW. According to the report, Mr. A—who runs a meat distribution company—claimed that Lee had not paid for raw ingredient supplies for around eight months. The company had been supplying ingredients to a sundae soup restaurant associated with the actor.
Mr. A revealed that he personally met Lee Jang Woo in Cheonan before the restaurant’s opening in November 2023. Initially, payments were made on time. However, issues soon began, with payments becoming inconsistent and sometimes completely halted. At one point, the overdue amount reportedly reached between 50 to 64 million KRW before being partially reduced to the current 40 million KRW still unpaid.
Expressing frustration, Mr. A stated that he had trusted the actor due to his celebrity status and waited patiently at first. However, delays continued for over a year. He claimed that on one occasion, Lee only paid a small portion—around 2 million KRW—while continuing to place new orders worth about 5 million KRW, causing the debt to grow further.
After losing patience, Mr. A sent a direct message to Lee Jang Woo in January this year, demanding full payment. A former employee of the restaurant later responded, promising monthly repayments of 2 million KRW. However, Mr. A asserted that this promise was not properly fulfilled.
When contacted, the restaurant denied Lee Jang Woo’s direct involvement, stating that the CEO is actually a close acquaintance of the actor. An F&B company representative added that while many believed Lee was the owner, he was only involved briefly at the beginning and received a share of profits for about two months after opening. As the restaurant is now reportedly operating at a loss, he is no longer receiving any revenue and has not been involved in its operations for some time.
The restaurant further explained that it had signed a contract with an intermediary company, identified as Company S. According to them, payments were made to this intermediary, but Company S allegedly failed to pay the meat supplier. They emphasized that the responsibility lies with the intermediary, though they are considering covering the debt themselves to resolve the issue quickly.
In response, the meat supplier pushed back strongly, stating that Lee Jang Woo had publicly promoted the restaurant as his own on television. He argued that he agreed to supply ingredients based on trust in the actor’s reputation and is not concerned with internal business arrangements—only that the outstanding debt be paid as soon as possible.
Born in 1986, Lee Jang Woo rose to fame through dramas like Smile Again and My Only One. He was once widely loved for his masculine visuals and charm. However, in recent years, the actor has seen a decline in popularity, partly due to noticeable weight gain and a shift in public image.
Sources: K14
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