Singer-actor Park Yoochun, who reversed his retirement and resumed his career in Japan, is now legally off the hook in a ₩500 million (approx. $375,000) damages lawsuit filed by his former management company. The lawsuit was unexpectedly withdrawn after it reached the Supreme Court, erasing any remaining financial liability.
According to Star News on January 16, management company Loud Fun Together officially dropped its damages claim against him and his previous agency Riciello on January 8. Park’s legal team also withdrew their counterclaim. This action nullifies the previous ruling that required Park to pay ₩500 million plus interest.
A legal source told Star News, “Since the plaintiff dropped the lawsuit against some defendants, the obligation to pay damages from the second trial also disappears.”
Previously, the Seoul High Court had ruled in September 2025 that Park Yoochun and Riciello were jointly responsible for ₩500 million in damages for violating an exclusive contract. The court found that Park had breached both the agreement and a court-issued injunction by continuing entertainment activities through a separate agency without prior approval.
Park had appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court in October 2025. However, with the lawsuit now dropped, the case has come to a formal close.
The legal conflict stemmed from a 2020 agreement where Loud Fun Together was granted exclusive rights to manage Park’s activities through 2024. But in May 2021, Park unilaterally terminated the contract and began working with another agency run by an acquaintance, sparking the legal dispute.
Despite Loud Fun Together securing a court order to ban him from TV appearances and promotions, Park continued with concerts and endorsements most recently resuming activities in Japan and returning to Korea with little sign of slowing down.
Park Yoochun has faced numerous controversies in recent years. In 2016, he was listed for failing to pay over ₩409 million in taxes. In 2019, he was convicted of methamphetamine use, receiving a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years. Notably, he had previously held a press conference denying the drug charges and promised to retire if found guilty claims later proven false.
In 2023, the National Tax Service of Korea included Park among its list of habitual tax delinquents and tax evaders, citing over ₩200 million in unpaid taxes for more than a year. Despite ongoing public backlash, Park has continued his career, mostly outside Korea.
Sources: Nate