Kpop Trainee Kicked Out Of The Company After Sneaking Out To Get A Tattoo, Had To Pay Compensation To His Agency Too

A trainee identified as “A” has been ordered to compensate their agency after violating terms of their exclusive contract by getting a tattoo without permission and leaving the dorm without authorization.

According to legal sources in a recent report, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that A’s actions constituted a breach of contract and ordered them to pay 5 million won [$3,671] in damages to the agency.

A had signed an exclusive contract with an entertainment company in June 2018. The contract included detailed clauses regarding revenue sharing as well as restrictions on behaviors that could harm the artist’s image—such as tattoos, hairstyles, dating, clubbing, drinking, and smoking. It also stipulated a penalty of 30 million won [$22,031] for each violation of these terms.

However, A reportedly breached the contract multiple times. In October 2018, A left the company-provided dormitory without permission and received a tattoo on the back of their neck without prior approval, leading to a formal warning from the agency.

A was initially part of a debut lineup but was excluded from the final group in June 2019. Their removal was attributed not only to the unauthorized tattoo and dormitory incident but also to reported conflicts with other trainees.

The agency filed a lawsuit seeking approximately 80 million won [$58,750] in damages, citing breach of contract, A’s responsibility for the contract termination, and penalties as outlined in the agreement.

The court sided with the agency but reduced the compensation to 5 million won.

The judge stated, “A is liable for paying a penalty for breach of contract,” but explained that, “since the unauthorized departure happened only once and the tattoo was small and located on the back of the neck, the severity of the breach was not significant. A penalty exceeding 5 million won would be against public morals and social order.”

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Source: (A)