Actress Hwang Jung-eum directly addressed the controversy over her unregistered one-person agency. With legal and administrative issues that surfaced after her split from her former agency drawing renewed attention, she bowed her head, saying, "All responsibility lies in my shortcomings."
Hwang Jung-eum said on the 9th, "I would like to speak about recent reports regarding the exclusive contract and registration related to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act," and "I terminated my exclusive contract with my former agency Y One Entertainment effective Nov. 27, 2025."
Hwang Jung-eum's agency, "Hunminjeongeum Entertainment," which she leads, has been operated as a one-person agency. She said, "Because I had been receiving services related to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry from Y One Entertainment, I did not consider my company to have been carrying out direct management duties for me," and explained, "So I judged that a separate registration for the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act was not necessary."
However, as controversies over unregistered one-person agencies for entertainers continued, she said she belatedly began the registration process. Hwang Jung-eum said, "I judged that it was desirable to establish more legally stable procedures, so I have been working on registration since Nov. of last year, and on Nov. 5 I also completed the required educational course for registration," and said, "Currently the document submission and verification procedures are in the final stages, and registration is expected to be completed soon."
She added, "Everything arose from my shortcomings," and "I hope fans will understand that this was the sequence of events with generous hearts. I sincerely apologize for causing concern."
This explanation drew more attention amid a process in which her former agency Y One Entertainment publicly disclosed the split with Hwang Jung-eum and sought to draw a line. Y One Entertainment said on the 8th, "We notified actress Hwang Jung-eum of the termination of the exclusive contract on Nov. 27 of last year, and that notice was accepted and the contract has already ended," and said, "We have no involvement in or responsibility for Hwang Jung-eum's current or future activities or personal matters."
Allegations that Hwang Jung-eum operated an unregistered one-person agency grew more explosive when linked to a past embezzlement case involving about 4.34 billion won. She was accused of withdrawing 4.34 billion won in corporate funds from her one-person agency as temporary loans over about a year from 2022, and of using about 4.2 billion won of that for cryptocurrency investments and personal card charges; she was indicted on those charges and was sentenced to two years in prison with a four-year suspended sentence.
Under the current Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, corporations that manage entertainment activity revenue or perform functions such as appearance contracting and management must register as planning agencies. In relation to this rule, singers Ok Joo Hyun, Sung Si Kyung, actors Lee Ha-nee and Yoo Ah-in, among others, have in the past completed registration belatedly after unregistered controversies. Hwang Jung-eum likewise rose to prominence again amid the same controversy.
With the embezzlement record followed by issues about operating a one-person agency, public sentiment toward Hwang Jung-eum remains cold.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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