Singer CL, whose real name is Lee Chae-rin, and the head of actor Gang Dong-won’s agency, who had been under investigation for operating unregistered agencies, were both granted suspensions of indictment.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office decided not to indict them on Monday. They were being investigated on suspicion of violating the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, according to the prosecution on Wednesday.

A suspension of indictment means that prosecutors acknowledge the offense itself but have decided not to bring the suspect to trial after taking into account factors such as motive, means, consequences and other circumstances.

Prosecutors reportedly considered that they both committed the violations without fully understanding the law, and that they registered their businesses soon after becoming aware of the requirement.

CL is accused of having operated her independent label Very Cherry for about five years without registering it with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism after establishing it in 2020.

A similar allegation was raised against actor Gang Dong-won, who was signed to his independent label. Police, however, concluded that Gang was not involved in operating the agency and cleared him, sending only the head of the agency to prosecutors.

The investigation began after a citizen filed a complaint through e-People alleging that the agencies of CL, Gang and others had violated the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act by failing to comply with the registration requirement.

Under the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, operating a business without registering it with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won ($13,400).


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]