Court Orders Idol Trainee to Pay Damages for Unauthorized Tattoo and Absence

A court has ruled that an idol trainee is liable for damages after getting a tattoo and leaving their dormitory without agency consent.

On the 23rd, the Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 96 ordered former trainee A to pay 5 million KRW (approximately $4,200) in a lawsuit filed by their former entertainment agency.

A had signed an exclusive contract with the agency in 2018, which included clauses restricting actions that could harm the public image, such as tattoos, dating, and clubbing. The contract specified a penalty of 30 million KRW (approximately $25,000) per violation.

The dispute arose when A repeatedly breached the agreement. In October 2018, A left the dormitory without permission and was caught. They also secretly got a tattoo on the back of their neck, which led to a warning. Eventually, due to internal conflicts, A was removed from the debut lineup. The group A was part of began activities in June 2019.

The agency claimed damages of over 80 million KRW (approximately $67,000), but the court, while siding with the agency, noted that "the unauthorized absence occurred only once and the tattoo is small and not noticeable," thus awarding only 5 million KRW.

Reported by Jiye Choi, TenAsia journalist, wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr