Popera entertainer Lim Hyeong-ju is continuing a public dispute with subcontractors over alleged unpaid construction payments.
On the 5th of last month, reports surfaced that Embla Bird, where Lim Hyeong-ju and his sibling serve as inside directors, failed to pay subcontractors a total of 816.55 million won in construction payments.
Earlier, Lim Hyeong-ju revealed the four-story Seoul Popera House on TV CHOSUN's "Dad and I." He boasted, "I built it myself," and said, "I even have a dedicated popera theater with 124 seats inside the house." But according to reports, Lim Hyeong-ju did not properly pay the remaining balances to subcontractors, and as a result a total of 539.55 million won in provisional seizure claims was filed and some firms reportedly won favorable rulings in court.
However, Lim Hyeong-ju's agency DGNCom drew a line, saying, "This building was contracted and constructed by Embla Bird with company A before Lim Hyeong-ju and his sibling were appointed inside directors of Embla Bird," and "it has no relation to Lim Hyeong-ju." Even if it is true that subcontractors did not receive some construction payments, the agency's position is that it is solely an issue between primary contractor company A, which already received construction payments from Embla Bird, and the subcontractors, and Lim Hyeong-ju has no legal responsibility.
At the same time, they said, "To avoid further unnecessary disputes related to this matter, Lim Hyeong-ju has put Seoul Popera House up for sale at 15.2 billion won," and "if the sale of Seoul Popera House proceeds while payments have not been made, there is a willingness to prepay the overdue construction payments claimed by subcontractors from the sale proceeds and later resolve matters with company A."
Meanwhile, the group of subcontractors issued an official statement on the 3rd and rebutted. The subcontractors pointed out that "It is an established fact confirmed by the court that Embla Bird, where Lim Hyeong-ju serves as an inside director, did not pay more than about 800 million won in construction payments to primary contractor company A," and accused Lim Hyeong-ju's side of making false claims.
They continued, "Subcontractors have made various efforts over the past three years to resolve payment, but Embla Bird has not presented any repayment plan. Even after the agency said 'it is willing to resolve the issue,' there has been no dialogue to date," and argued, "Embla Bird claims it put the building up for sale at 15.2 billion won to resolve the dispute, but considering the current real estate market situation, that price is practically unrealizable. This appears not to be an intention to repay through an actual sale but an attempt to delay sale and postpone debt execution by setting an unrealistic price. If there is sincerity, they should present an immediate repayment proposal in accordance with the court decision rather than an indefinite sales plan."
They also urged resolution, saying, "Faced with a debtor who shows no intention to repay despite the court ruling, the subcontractors' last resort was one-person protests. To portray this rightful exercise of rights as 'intentional defamation' or 'malicious reporting' is an act that obscures the essence."
But Lim Hyeong-ju's side continued to claim innocence. DGNCom issued an additional statement the same day, rebutting, "We express deep regret that the subcontractors' renewed rebuttal one month after the release of an official statement can only be interpreted as repeated attempts to tarnish Lim Hyeong-ju's image."
They went on, "Lim Hyeong-ju's side is outraged that their unilateral claim, without legal basis, that they intend to prioritize repayment through sale of the building even if it means accepting 'double payment' of construction fees, is being maligned, defamed and distorted," and added, "From today onward, Lim Hyeong-ju's side will not distribute any official statements regarding this case. If they feel wronged, resolve it fairly and legally. In addition, from this time forward, we will promptly begin strong legal action regarding intentional defamation and slander against Lim Hyeong-ju and illegal protests in front of his residence."
With both sides sharply at odds over whether payments were made, attention is focused on future responses.<
[Photo] OSEN DB, TV CHOSUN
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