Disgraced Popular Actor Convicted Of Sexual Assault Ordered To Pay Over $3 Million In Compensation To His Agency
Actor Kang Ji Hwan (real name Jo Tae Kyu, 47) has been ordered to pay his former agency, Jellyfish Entertainment, approximately 3.4 billion won (about $2.5 million) in damages after a final ruling by the Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 6-1 on November 6.
The lawsuit stems from a 2019 incident in which Kang was convicted of sexually assaulting two female staff members in his home in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, during the filming of the TV Chosun drama “Joseon Survival.”
He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison with a three-year probation period. Following the incident, Kang exited the drama midway, which led to the episode count being reduced from 20 to 16, and his scenes being replaced by another actor.
Jellyfish Entertainment originally sought 4.2 billion won (approximately $3 million) in damages, citing violation of his exclusive contract obligations. Though a lower court dismissed the claim, reasoning the contract had expired two months prior to the incident, the appeals court ruled in favor of the agency, affirming Kang’s obligation to pay due to the impact of his actions on the agency’s business.
Additionally, in October 2022, the Supreme Court ordered Kang and his former agency to jointly pay the drama’s production company, with damages totaling 5.3 billion won (around $3.9 million).
Source: (A)
