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| Actor Kim Jung-hyun was reported to be in talks to sign a deal with "Crash Landing on You" co-star Seo Ji-hye's agency, Culture Depot. Courtesy of tvN |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Kim Jung-hyun has been in a dispute with his agency, O& Entertainment, after actress Seo Ji-hye's agency, Culture Depot, denied rumors that the two are dating, saying that they were seen together to discuss his possible transfer to Seo's agency.
O& Entertainment announced Thursday that it filed a motion for a settlement with the Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA), claiming that the actor still has 11 more months before his current contract ends.
Dispatch, a local tabloid, reported earlier that Kim and Seo, the co-stars of tvN's hit series, "Crash Landing on You," have been dating for about a year. The outlet revealed pictures of the two going in and out of each other's homes.
Seo's agency was quick to deny the report, saying that they are "just friends."
"Kim's contract with his agency expires soon, so he was seeking advice on moving to her agency," it said, adding that it is in talks to sign a deal with Kim.
Following the reports, O& Entertainment accused Culture Depot of violating a restriction on tampering, mostly used in sports when a team persuades a player to join. Under the KEMA guideline, agencies or artists are restricted from discussing or signing deals with other parties until at least three months before the current contract terminates.
Park's contract with O& is supposed to end in May. However, the agency claims that the contract should be extended by an additional 11 months, due to his hiatus for health reasons in 2018.
The actor withdrew from the MBC series, "Time," during the middle of its broadcast run, after revealing that he had been experiencing health issues, including an eating and sleep disorder. "Kim has decided to step down… as the doctor had advised him to get some rest both psychologically and physically," the agency said in a statement at that time.
He took a break from acting for over a year before playing the supporting role on "Crash Landing on You" in 2019.
"Kim's withdrawal from 'Time' made us suffer financial losses from losing sponsorships and such. But we took responsibility as the agency representing the actor," the agency told local media outlets, Thursday. "So it's unfortunate that he is meeting with another agency to discuss a contract there when his current one is still valid for a considerable time."
Kim debuted in 2015 via the melodrama film, "Overman." He became familiar to the public through his lead role on the JTBC sitcom, "Welcome to Waikiki," and had his breakout with the romance series, "Crash Landing on You," followed by the recently concluded series, "Mr. Queen."
