INFINITE's Lee Sung-jong Wins Lawsuit Against Former Agency Over Unpaid Earnings

Lee Sung-jong of the group INFINITE has won a lawsuit against his former agency over unpaid earnings.

Recently, Lee Sung-jong emerged victorious in a civil lawsuit against his former agency, SPK Entertainment, led by CEO Kim Seung-pil, regarding unpaid settlement fees.

In August 2022, Lee signed an exclusive contract with SPK Entertainment. However, he did not receive the promised contract fee or the necessary support for broadcast appearances, fan meetings, and album releases.

Despite sending a certification of contents and demanding rectification for contract violations, SPK Entertainment remained unresponsive. Consequently, Lee notified the agency of the termination of his exclusive contract last year. A compulsory mediation was established, suspending the contract's effect and granting him freedom.

Alongside this, Lee filed a lawsuit for unpaid earnings from his activities with INFINITE, YouTube appearances, and Japanese fan meetings over the past two years. After more than a year since filing, he finally won the lawsuit on the 28th of last month.

The court ruled, "The defendant (SPK Entertainment) must pay the plaintiff (Lee Sung-jong) the settlement fees with an annual interest rate of 6% from April 21, 2023, to February 28, 2025, and 12% thereafter until fully paid."

Meanwhile, INFINITE, the group Lee Sung-jong is part of, made a grand return to the music scene with the release of their 8th mini-album 'LIKE INFINITE' on the 6th. They will hold their 15th-anniversary tour 'LIMITED EDITION' encore concerts on April 12th and 13th at Inspire Arena in Incheon, meeting with fans.

By Yeji Ryu, TenAsia Reporter ryuperstar@tenasia.co.kr