South Korean Actress Hwang Jung-eum Repays Embezzled Funds, Apologizes for Misconduct

South Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum, accused of embezzling approximately 4.3 billion won (around $3.6 million USD), has reportedly repaid the full amount.

On the 17th, Hwang's agency, Y-One Entertainment, released an official statement confirming that "Hwang Jung-eum has repaid the entire amount she used from Hunminjeongeum Entertainment as an advance payment by liquidating her personal assets in two installments on May 30 and June 5, 2025."

The statement further clarified that "all financial relations between Hunminjeongeum Entertainment and Hwang Jung-eum have been resolved."

The agency expressed that "as the owner of a single-person corporation without professional management experience, Hwang Jung-eum deeply regrets the incident caused by her lack of appropriate tax and accounting knowledge. She is diligently taking all necessary legal and ethical actions to resolve the matter swiftly."

They concluded with an apology, stating, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern and promise to approach even minor matters with expert assistance to restore trust with a more meticulous and responsible attitude."

Hwang Jung-eum was indicted without detention in late 2022 for allegedly embezzling a total of 4.34 billion won from her company, which she fully owned, and investing 700 million won of it in cryptocurrency.

Through Y-One Entertainment, Hwang expressed her remorse, saying, "I am sorry for causing concern with such a shameful incident." She explained, "In 2021, I was advised by acquaintances to invest in cryptocurrency to grow the company, and I made a hasty decision without sufficient knowledge. Although the funds were in the company's name, they were essentially my earnings, leading to my reckless judgment."