Actor Ji Soo, who withdrew from the KBS drama ‘River Where the Moon Rises’ following school bullying allegations, has been ordered to compensate the production company in a major appellate court ruling.
On February 13, the Civil Division 38-1 of the Seoul High Court partially ruled in favor of production company Victory Contents in a damages lawsuit filed against Ji Soo’s former agency, Keyeast Entertainment. The court ordered Keyeast to pay 880 million KRW (about 608,900 USD) plus delayed interest.
Although the amount was reduced from approximately 1.42 billion KRW awarded in the first trial, the appellate court upheld the agency’s liability for damages. In March 2021, after six episodes of ‘River Where the Moon Rises’ had aired, school bullying allegations surfaced against Ji Soo, who was playing the male lead On Dal. Ji Soo acknowledged part of the allegations and voluntarily stepped down from the series. At the time, 18 out of the planned 20 episodes had already been filmed.
The production team urgently replaced him with actor Na In Woo beginning with episode 7 and proceeded with extensive reshoots, including re-filming episodes 1 through 6. According to the production company, the unprecedented mid-series lead replacement resulted in significant financial losses due to additional production costs and scheduling delays.
Victory Contents initially sought approximately 3 billion KRW (about 2.08 million USD) in damages, including reshooting expenses. The court ultimately recognized part of the claim.
The ruling once again highlights the wide-reaching impact that personal controversies involving actors can have on an entire production. Industry observers note that the decision serves as a significant case clarifying the scope of contractual risk management responsibilities in the entertainment sector.
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