$120,000 Unpaid: South Korean Musical Faces Scandal Over Missing Wages

[TV Daily reporter Hwang Seo-yeon] Actor Lee Hyo-chun has spoken out about unpaid fees tied to the musical Chinjeong Mom, describing the financial and emotional toll of a months‑long nonpayment and saying he feels deeply wronged.

On the 27th, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Korea Entertainment Management Association and the Korea Broadcasting Performers’ Union again called on the production company behind Chinjeong Mom to resolve the outstanding payments.

In a joint statement, the groups demanded payment of the late Kim Soo‑mi’s unpaid appearance fee of 160,000,000 KRW (approximately $120,000) and full payment to Lee Hyo‑chun. They said the production company has not responded to earlier requests for correction and warned that, with allegations now including unpaid staff wages, they will take tougher measures — including designating the company as a rogue producer and seeking its removal from the industry — if payments are not made.

In an exclusive interview with TV Daily, Lee said he had heard Kim Soo‑mi received at least part of her fee, but he did not receive a single KRW. \”I cooperated fully, yet I got nothing,\” he said. \”I understand ensemble members and other actors received partial payments, but I was left unpaid.\”

Although Chinjeong Mom has been staged repeatedly since 2010, Lee joined the production for the first time during the controversial 2024 season. \”It was my first time in the show, and I didn’t know much about the theater and musical scene then,\” he recalled. \”I loved the piece and threw myself into it. I assumed payments would be settled after the run because I gave it my all and intended to perform it for a long time.\” He said producers initially promised to settle his pay one month after closing but repeatedly postponed deadlines until they stopped responding entirely.

Lee pursued legal action, but it yielded little. He filed a complaint against the production company’s CEO at Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul late last year, but the investigation closed with no result. \”I spent my own money preparing documents and following procedures. Both sides even appeared at the police station, but the probe fizzled out,\” he said.

Lee also said the company failed to reimburse him for TV appearances he made to promote Chinjeong Mom. \”We appeared on several programs to promote the show, and the production company took the fee from at least one of those programs,\” he said. \”Actors cleared their schedules to participate but didn’t receive fair compensation. The company acted as if we should be grateful just to be allowed to appear.\”

He said his attachment to the show made the outcome especially painful. \”The role fit me perfectly. It made the audience laugh and cry — it was a part I really wanted to play,\” he said. \”I even contributed choreography ideas and injured my leg during rehearsals. I worked for months preparing the stage and poured my passion into it, so this is heartbreaking.\”

Lee emphasized the harm extends beyond himself. \”Not only I, but crew members and workers who dismantled the stage haven’t been paid. Many people still haven’t received money,\” he said. \”This issue must be resolved. I hope those affected receive fair compensation.\”

Finally, Lee expressed regret that a well‑made show like Chinjeong Mom cannot return to the stage because of the producer’s misconduct. \”I hope this situation is resolved and that another producer steps in so the show can be staged again. As an actor, that’s my biggest wish,\” he said.

[TV Daily reporter Hwang Seo-yeon news@tvdaily.co.kr / Photo = musical ‘Chinjeong Mom’]