K-pop trainee ordered to pay damages after tattoo and dorm exit led to canceled debut

A South Korean court has ruled that a former K-pop trainee must pay damages to their agency after violating contract terms, including getting a tattoo without permission and leaving the dormitory without authorization. These actions ultimately led to the trainee being excluded from their group’s debut lineup.

On June 23, the Seoul Central District Court (Civil Division 96), presided over by Judge Lee Baek Gyu, ordered A, a former trainee under Majesty Entertainment, to pay 5 million KRW (approx. 3,600 USD) in damages for breaching the terms of an exclusive trainee contract.

A had signed the contract with Majesty Entertainment in June 2018. The agreement outlined revenue sharing and behavioral clauses, including restrictions on actions that could damage the artist’s image, such as unauthorized tattoos, drinking, smoking, dating, and clubbing. The contract specified a penalty of 30 million KRW per violation of these clauses.

Tensions escalated when A left the company-provided dormitory without permission in October 2018 and was later found to have received a tattoo on the back of the neck without prior approval. Both actions violated the contract, and A was formally warned by the agency.

Although the group that A was training with debuted in June 2019, A was removed from the final lineup. According to the agency, this was due to repeated behavioral issues and deteriorating relationships with fellow trainees.

In response, A filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify the contract. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with A, ruling that trust had broken down between the parties, partly due to the agency’s failure to provide required financial documentation.

Following that ruling, Majesty Entertainment filed a counter-lawsuit seeking approximately 80 million KRW (around 57,000 USD) in damages. The agency claimed the trainee’s contract breaches led to financial losses and demanded compensation according to the penalty clauses.

While the court acknowledged that A had violated the contract, it significantly reduced the compensation. The judge stated: “The unauthorized dormitory absence occurred only once, and the tattoo was small and located on the back of the neck, making it not clearly visible.”

As a result, the court determined that imposing the full penalty amount would be excessive and contrary to public morals, limiting the damages to 5 million KRW (around 3,500 USD).

The ruling is not yet final, as Majesty Entertainment has appealed the decision. A second trial is expected in the coming months.