"No matter the total amount of unpaid earnings, I will donate it all": Lee Seung-gi about conflict with agency Hook Entertainment

The conflict between Hook Entertainment and actor Lee Seung-gi is ongoing. It started with the latter requesting the agency's transparency regarding his earnings from the music he produced. Although he has been paid 5 billion won (approximately $3.8 million), he hasn't received a statement as to how this was calculated by his agency. The actor shed light on the issue through an Instagram post (dated December 16, 2022), where he wrote:

"What I can promise, however, is that no matter the total amount of unpaid earnings, I will donate it all."

Lee Seung-gi has been struggling to accept the latest move by his agency, and hence released a detailed statement on his personal social media account. He also explained to his fans that he would continue to fight and take this matter to court to ensure that Hook Entertainment is held responsible for their actions.

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Lee Seung-gi apologizes to fans for tiring them with his legal struggle

In the statement released two days ago, not only did Lee Seung-gi confirm that he would continue to fight against the unfair payment practices of Hook Entertainment, but also that he is aware of the long uphill battle that awaits him in the future. He wrote:

"This morning, I received a text message that about 5 billion won (approximately $3.8 million) was deposited into my bank account. It seems that Hook Entertainment probably thinks that I took legal action simply to receive money. I have never even received one of those typical statements of accounts for my music profits… They are trying to unilaterally wrap up this case under the pretext of paying the unpaid earnings."

He explained how he lived 18 years as an artist and was unaware of the concept of music profits. Lee Seung-gi also stated that the reason he filed a lawsuit against Hook Entertainment is that they have "misused" his hard work because of their greed:

"I endured 18 years of being told that I am a “minus singer” (meaning negative profit margin). In this situation, the reason why I filed a lawsuit against Hook is not because of the unpaid earnings. Someone’s hard work and sweat should not be misused by someone else’s greed. I thought that fulfilling this mission is the best I can do."

Apologizing for the fatigue that news of his fight might have caused the audience and his fans, he wrote:

"I have received 5 billion won now. Of course, I don’t know how this amount was calculated. However, I do not understand Hook’s calculation method, so I think I will continue to fight in court. It will become a tiresome fight, and I want to first apologize for causing fatigue to the public who is watching this occur."

Speaking of donating all the money that he has received so far and may receive in the future, Lee Seung-gi further added:

"Starting with the 5 billion won that was deposited today, excluding the legal aid costs, I will give back the rest to the community. This is not a decision I made in a day. The moment I decided on the fight against Hook, I decided to use all of the money I will receive to help those who are in need."

In addition, Lee Seung-gi stated that the money that he received from Hook is valuable to him, especially because it symbolizes the sweat of his teens, 20s, and 30s. He plans to meet with charity organizations in the coming weeks to develop specific plans. He also expressed his gratitude to everyone who has stood by him during his battle against the agency.