Chew 'finally wins' lawsuit to void ex-agency contract

Singer Chew (real name Kim Ji-woo), a former member of the group Girl of the Month, has finally won a lawsuit against her former agency for invalidation of her exclusive contract.

On the 27th, the Supreme Court's 3rd Division (Chief Justice Noh Jung-hee) confirmed the trial court's ruling in favor of the plaintiff in the appeals of the civil lawsuit for confirmation of the invalidity of the exclusive contract filed by Chew against her former agency, Blockberry Creative (hereinafter referred to as Blockberry), by dismissing the appeal as a mistrial.

Non-hearing dismissal is a system that allows appeals, except for criminal cases, to be dismissed without a separate hearing, unless there is a specific reason, such as a violation of the original judgment.

Previously, in December 2021, Chew filed a lawsuit against Blockberry for the invalidity of the exclusive contract due to the settlement of revenue. In November 2022, Blockchain kicked Chew out of the organization, claiming that he had been abusive to staff.

But Chew fought back, saying he had "never done anything embarrassing to a fan."

Both the first and second tribunals sided with Chew. The first tribunal explained the reasoning behind the invalidation of the exclusive contract, saying, "Chew's entertainment activities generated approximately 860 million won ($760,000,000) in net revenue from 2016 to September 2021, but according to Blockberry Creative's revenue-sharing clause, the plaintiff will not receive any settlement money at all."

Currently, Chew is signed to ATRP and is working as a solo artist. She released her second mini-album, "Strawberry Rush," on July 25, and will hold fan concerts in 12 cities, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Santiago, Mexico City, and São Paulo from July 17 to August 13.