Comedian Park Narae's single-family house in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, was revealed to have a large mortgage lien newly registered in the name of an affiliated corporation, prompting various interpretations about the background. In particular, as this coincided with recent controversies and the timing of her suspension of activities, some in the industry have even speculated, "Isn't this effectively a retaliatory defensive measure?"
According to a media report on the 22nd, the registry of the single-family house in Itaewon-dong in Park Narae's name currently shows two mortgage liens. In July 2021, a mortgage with a maximum claim amount of 1.1 billion won was first registered with a bank as the creditor, which can be interpreted as an ordinary mortgage loan.
On the 3rd, a new mortgage lien with a maximum claim amount of 4.97 billion won was added listing Enpark Co., Ltd., known as Park Narae's sole agency, as the creditor. The registry lists the cause as a "contract for establishment," so it is said to be unrelated to seizure or compulsory execution. Combined, the two liens total a maximum claim amount of 6.07 billion won. The house is reported to have been purchased by Park Narae in 2020 for about 6.7 billion won. In effect, most of the real estate value is tied up as collateral.
There are several interpretations in the industry about the timing of the mortgage registration. A figure in the entertainment industry said, "From an ordinary asset management perspective, it doesn't seem necessary to set such a large mortgage at this time," adding, "It's a point that inevitably invites various conjectures about the timing of the registration."
Some suggest it may be collateral set up to raise funds for the agency's corporation, or a process to settle financial relationships between the individual and the corporation. In the case of small agencies, it is often difficult to get loans based solely on corporate credit, so there are many cases where an affiliated entertainer's personal assets are used as collateral.
On the other hand, considering that Park Narae recently announced a suspension of broadcasting activities amid various allegations and controversies and has stepped down from regular programs one after another, there is also analysis that this might be a "retaliatory" defensive measure to prepare for large costs such as penalties or damages that could arise in the future. In the entertainment world, cases often arise in which penalties during contract termination or disputes balloon into tens of billions of won.
Enpark remains in existence without dissolution or liquidation procedures, but its corporate registry shows the head office address has been changed several times, and it is reported that the sign at the recent office address was removed and no resident staff were confirmed, raising questions about whether it is operating normally. This also fuels suspicions surrounding the background of the mortgage registration.
Regarding this, Park Narae's side was previously reported to have said it was difficult to confirm because it was a personal matter related to a family-named corporation, but they have not provided any additional explanation about the background of this large mortgage registration or the various speculations. The agency Enpark has also not issued an official statement so far.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]