Chu wins final victory in invalidation lawsuit against former agency

Chu

Singer Chu (real name Kim Ji-woo) has won the final round of her invalidation lawsuit against her former agency.

The Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Chief Justice Noh Jung-hee presiding) on Sunday affirmed the trial court's decision to dismiss the case without prejudice in favor of the plaintiffs in the appeal of Chu's lawsuit against Blockberry Creative, which sought "confirmation that the exclusive contract is invalid."

A dismissal without prejudice is a system in which an appellate court, except for criminal cases, does not accept an appeal without hearing the merits unless there is a specific reason such as illegality in the original judgment.

Chu had previously filed a lawsuit against Blockchain Creative in December 2021 to invalidate the exclusive agreement, citing revenue settlement issues. In November 2022, Blockchain Creative alleged that Chew had been removed from the team for abusive behavior, but Chew countered that there was no abusive behavior and that the revenue share in the exclusive agreement was unfair.

In the first trial, the court ruled in Chew's favor, saying, "Plaintiff's (Chew) entertainment activities generated approximately KRW 860 million in net revenue from 2016 to September 2021, but under Blockberry Creative's revenue sharing provisions, Plaintiff would receive no settlement at all."

Blockberry Creative appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court upheld the trial court's decision.