There is a high possibility that Yoo Ah In will have to pay a breach of contract penalty exceeding 10 billion won (about $8.4 million) for his involvement in a recent drug scandal.
On the 28th, lawyer Kim Sung Hoon appeared on YTN’s News Live and stated, “If Yoo Ah In is found guilty, the likelihood of him having to pay the penalty is very high. However, it cannot be excluded that an agreement may be reached before the lawsuit.”
He then said, “Recently, advertising contracts typically include clauses requiring artists to pay a penalty equivalent to or greater than the advertising fee if they cause social controversy and damage the brand image to the extent that the advertisement can no longer be published. It will be difficult to completely avoid legal responsibility.”
Yoo Ah In has been the face of approximately 10 brands, including fashion, food, beauty, health food, and outdoor products, appearing both in TV and print advertisements. After the drug scandal broke out, they took down or replaced advertisements featuring him. It is estimated that Yoo Ah In’s annual contract fee as a model, based one year ago, was around 800 million to 1 billion won (about $670,000 to $840,000), and the breach of contract penalty he may have to pay is estimated to be as high as 100 billion won.
Yoo Ah In’s legal representation includes attorney Cha Sang Woo of Infinity Law Office, who previously worked at the largest law firm in Korea with a background in prosecution, and former drug investigation prosecutor Park Sung Jin. Whether or not the hefty breach of contract penalty can be avoided through the efforts of Yoo Ah In’s skilled legal team is drawing attention.
>> Yoo Ah In Personally Apologizes for Drug Scandal: “My Mistake Was Inexcusable”
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