K-pop trainee ordered to pay damages to agency over tattoo and dorm rule violations
A former K-pop trainee has been ordered to pay 5 million won ($3,665) to her management agency for breaching the terms of her contract by getting a tattoo on the back of her neck and leaving the company dormitory without permission.
The agency, Majesty Entertainment, had initially sought 80 million won in damages, but the court ruled Monday that the trainee's actions constituted only minor violations and reduced the compensation accordingly.
The trainee signed with the agency in June 2018 under a contract with strict behavioral clauses regulating hairstyle, tattoos, dating, clubbing and smoking. It also stipulated that each violation would result in a compensation obligation of 30 million won.
The trainee had been originally set to debut as part of a new group in June 2019 but was ultimately excluded from the final lineup. The agency attributed her removal to the tattoo incident and interpersonal conflicts with other trainees. It filed a lawsuit following her exclusion.
In its ruling, the court said: 'The court recognizes that the trainee left the dormitory without authorization and got a tattoo without the agency's consent. Therefore, she is obligated to pay the penalty stipulated in the contract.'
However, it added that because the trainee's unauthorized departure happened only once and the tattoo was small and not easily visible, the breach was not considered severe, so the penalty should not exceed 5 million won.
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