The court has finalized an amount.
According to reports on July 6, actor Kim Jisoo (Ji Soo)’s former agency, KeyEast, has been officially ordered to pay ₩880 million KRW (about $576,000 USD) in damages to the production company behind the KBS2 K-Drama River Where The Moon Rises. The ruling was finalized after KeyEast submitted a notice withdrawing its appeal to the Supreme Court on June 24. As a result, the second-trial ruling ordering the agency to compensate Canvas N, formerly Victory Contents, has now been confirmed.
Kim Jisoo was originally cast as the male lead, On Dal, in River Where The Moon Rises. However, in March 2021, allegations surfaced online accusing the actor of school violence, including bullying, assault, threats, verbal abuse, and humiliation during his school years.
At the time, Kim Jisoo posted a handwritten apology on social media, acknowledged some of the allegations, and stepped down from the drama.
The timing caused massive damage to the production. River Where The Moon Rises had already aired six episodes, and filming was reportedly completed through episode 18 of the planned 20. After Kim Jisoo’s exit, actor Na Inwoo was brought in to replace him, and the production team had to reshoot all of Kim Jisoo’s scenes.
Canvas N later filed a ₩3.00 billion KRW (about $1.96 million USD) lawsuit against KeyEast, citing direct damages from the reshoots. These included staff costs, location and equipment fees, cast fees, art production expenses, and other losses caused by the sudden recasting. The first trial partially sided with the production company and ordered KeyEast to pay ₩1.42 billion KRW (about $929,000 USD). The amount was later reduced on appeal to ₩880 million KRW (about $576,000 USD), which has now been finalized.
Canvas N had also filed an appeal following the second-trial ruling, but the court dismissed it.
Kim Jisoo left KeyEast in May 2021, shortly after the controversy. He later completed alternative military service as a social service worker and was discharged in 2023. In 2024, he addressed the school bullying allegations again, saying that he had resolved misunderstandings with the people involved.
Actor Ji Soo Speaks Out About His Bullying Allegations For The First Time In 2 Years
I was able to clear up the misunderstandings with the friends who spoke about that. And I am slowly preparing to try acting again.
— Kim Jisoo
However, his domestic comeback remains uncertain. While his career in Korea remains largely on hold, Kim Jisoo has since shifted his activities overseas, working in the Philippines as an actor and TikTok creator.
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