The first major shock came when it was revealed that singer Sung Si-kyung suffered financial losses due to his manager. Having worked together for over a decade, Sung expressed his feelings on social media, stating, "The past few months have been incredibly tough. Being betrayed by someone I trusted like family is something I've experienced multiple times in my 25-year career, but it never gets easier."
Kyuhyun also recently exposed the misconduct of a former manager on a variety show. He confessed that during his time with SUPER JUNIOR, the manager had a tendency to steal. Kyuhyun recounted, "There was a small storage area behind the shoe cabinet. When Yesung came in, the manager was startled and said, 'Oh, Yesung, you're here?' It was suspicious. When we asked him to come out, we found a box containing all the items we had lost."
Kyuhyun continued, "Yesung called Leeteuk, the leader, and the manager begged on his knees, 'Please keep this a secret, just this once.' When Leeteuk arrived, the manager pretended he hadn't been kneeling. Eventually, he was fired. The creepy part is that he went on to work as a manager for another artist."
There was also a manager who attempted to switch drivers after being caught driving illegally without a license. Kyuhyun shared, "The manager made an illegal U-turn at Konkuk University intersection. When the police sirens went off, he sped up. I asked, 'What are you doing?' and he replied, 'Kyuhyun, my license is already suspended. I can't get caught.'"
He added, "The manager suddenly started driving against traffic. There was a motorcycle ahead, and when the manager honked and cursed, the biker realized it was a fleeing vehicle and blocked it. The manager then asked me to switch seats because his license was suspended, but he was eventually caught."
On the 4th, former managers of Park Na-rae accused her of making them run errands, clean up after parties, and accompany her to drinking sessions, essentially treating them like personal assistants. One manager claimed they were verbally abused for not drinking and was injured by a glass thrown by an angry Park Na-rae. The controversy deepened when it was revealed that Park Na-rae's mother's one-person agency operated without proper registration.
Managers are responsible for handling performances, broadcasts, advertisements, and events on behalf of busy celebrities. They are often the closest to the stars, moving as one. While many stars maintain strong bonds with their managers, these incidents highlight the unfortunate cases where personal issues arise. Sung Si-kyung and Kyuhyun have moved on, while Park Na-rae is facing legal proceedings. We hope these stars find managers who can truly be life partners in their future careers.
By Yeji Ryu, TENASIA Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr