K-pop singer ordered to cough up W65 million for gaining weight

A promotional before-and-after photo featuring singer Kim Tae-woo. A provincial court ruled that Kim should pay 65 million won ($58,600) in compensation to settle a dispute with a weight-loss company because he was “overweight.”

By Park Si-soo

A popular singer was ordered to cough up 65 million won ($58,600) in compensation to settle a dispute with a weight-loss company because he was “overweight.”

The Seoul Central District Court recently ruled in favor of Juvis, ordering Kim Tae-woo, a popular singer and former member of boy band g.o.d, to return half the contract money he received in 2015 from the company in return for promoting it.

“He neglected his contracted duty of keeping his body in good shape, causing economic damage to the plaintiff,” Judge Lee Mi-sun wrote in a ruling statement.

The judge set the compensation ceiling at half the contract value, saying the singer contributed “a lot” to the company's sales increase by appearing in mass media in the contracted “good shape.” The judge said the firm's sales declined afterward, which coincided with Kim gaining weight, but it was hard to say this was the sole reason behind the decline.

Kim and Juvis clinched a 130 million won promotional contract in September 2015, under which the singer was supposed to reduce his weight to a “target range” using the company's services and then keep the weight within the range for a year.

Kim cut his weight to 85kg from 113kg by April 2016 and his surprising change in body shape attracted huge media attention. But the project went awry from May as Kim faced hectic schedules.

His weight went up beyond the range three months later, which the company claimed triggered a wave of customer contract cancellations.