Result of lawsuit regarding Seo Ye-ji “She’s not responsible, only agency has to return money”
The recent status of actress Seo Ye-ji, who was embroiled in allegations of school violence and gaslighting her ex-boyfriend – actor Kim Jung-hyun, is catching attention
According to JoongAng Ilbo on October 16th, Seo Ye-ji‘s agency Gold Medalist returned 225 million won to Yuhan Care, a company for which Seo Ye-ji worked as an advertising model.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of Yuhan Care’s damage compensation claim, stating that Gold Medalist must return the amount. However, the court did not accept the joint claim for damage compensation and penalty against Seo Ye-ji and her agency.
Seo Ye-ji signed a nutritional supplements model contract with Yuhan Care in July 2020. After receiving the model fee in August 2020, the related advertisements were released on August 26th, 2020. However, in April 2021, amid Seo Ye-ji’s allegations of gaslighting her ex-boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun and various controversies, Yuhan Care sent an official document to Gold Medalist demanding the termination of the contract and the return of the model fee.
The court determined that the allegations against Seo Ye-ji, including school violence and gaslighting, occurred before the contract period, thus not constituting a violation of the contract. Despite the plaintiff arguing that the contract clause regarding “damaging the advertiser’s product and corporate image or reducing advertising effectiveness through acts that harm the dignity as a public figure” applied, the court did not find a contractual breach in this regard.
The court ordered Gold Medalist to return half of the model fee, totaling 225 million won, considering the legal termination of the contract. The court emphasized that advertising model contracts involve sacrificing some privacy rights, especially for public figures like Seo Ye-ji.
Netizens expressed mixed reactions to the court’s decision, with some finding it peculiar and others debating the interpretation of the contract terms. The controversy surrounding Seo Ye-ji involves various allegations, including gaslighting her ex-boyfriend Kim Jung-hyun, school violence and academic history, which the agency previously denied in a statement issued in April 2021.
Source: Wikitree
