Lee Seung-gi Wins Lawsuit Against Hook Entertainment Over Settlement Payments

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi has emerged victorious in his legal battle against Hook Entertainment regarding unpaid settlement fees. The Seoul Central District Court ruled on April 4, 2025, that Hook must pay Lee 578 million won (approximately $500,000).

The court's decision came during the first trial of a lawsuit filed by Hook against Lee, where the court ordered Hook to pay Lee the specified amount along with delayed interest.

Lee has been in conflict with Hook since 2022 over the settlement payments, claiming he had not received any royalties from his music for 18 years since his debut. He sent a formal notice to Hook demanding transparency regarding the revenue from all his albums and the payment of overdue royalties.

In response, Hook argued that they had settled all financial obligations when Lee signed an exclusive contract in 2021, claiming that both parties had confirmed the settlement details and signed an agreement. However, Lee dismissed this as a "false claim" and sent a notice to terminate his contract with Hook.

Hook then stated that the amount Lee demanded was significantly higher than what they believed was owed, leading to a lack of agreement. They claimed to have already paid Lee 2.9 billion won (approximately $2.4 million) in unpaid royalties and interest, and subsequently filed a lawsuit to confirm the non-existence of any debt, asserting they had overpaid Lee by 900 million won (approximately $750,000) in advertising fees.

In a recent statement, Lee revealed that he received a text indicating that around 5 billion won (approximately $4.2 million) had been deposited into his account, expressing confusion over how Hook calculated this amount. He indicated that he would continue to pursue the matter in court due to his inability to understand Hook's accounting methods.

Additionally, Lee accused Hook of concealing the revenue generated from his music sales over the past 18 years. He also discovered that some former and current directors at Hook had embezzled a portion of advertising model fees. After raising these concerns, Hook acknowledged the issue and paid Lee approximately 630 million won (around $530,000) in advertising fees and interest. Lee has since filed charges against Hook's executives for violations related to embezzlement and fraud. He has also expressed his intention to donate the entire amount of unpaid royalties once resolved.