Actress Hwang Jung-eum Registers Her Own Agency Amid Embezzlement Charges

Korean actress Hwang Jung-eum, who recently halted her activities due to allegations of embezzling 4.3 billion won (approximately $3.6 million), has officially registered her one-person agency.

According to the Comprehensive Information System for Popular Culture and Arts on the 23rd, Hwang completed the registration process for Hunminjeongeum Entertainment Co., Ltd. as a popular culture and arts planning business on the 22nd.

Hunminjeongeum Entertainment was established in July 2013, but it took 13 years to become officially registered. The company, located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is Hwang's personal agency. Hwang herself is listed as the CEO, with her mother, Ms. Yoo, serving as an internal director.

Under Article 26 of the Act on the Development of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry, individuals wishing to engage in related businesses must register with the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Failure to comply can result in imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won (approximately $17,000).

Meanwhile, in early 2022, Hwang was accused of embezzling a total of 4.34 billion won by the end of December of the same year. She allegedly received 700 million won as an advance payment from a company in which she held a 100% stake and invested it in cryptocurrency.

Additionally, controversy arose when it was revealed that Hunminjeongeum Entertainment had been operating without registration as a popular culture and arts planning business. Hwang explained, "Hunminjeongeum Entertainment is a one-person company that has been receiving various services related to the popular culture and arts industry from my former agency, Y1 Entertainment. For this reason, I believed that Hunminjeongeum Entertainment did not directly perform management tasks or engage in popular culture and arts planning activities for me as an affiliated actor, and therefore, a separate registration was not necessary."

Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr