Oscar winning actress Youn Yuh-jung exits Hook Entertainment

Renowned South Korean actress, Youn Yuh-jung has decided not to renew her contract with management agency Hook Entertainment, which has recently been riddled with controversy.

The veteran actress signed with the agency in 2017 after which she starred in a number of popular films including The Bacchus Lady, Canola, Lucky Chan Sil, and Minari, for which she won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 2021.

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Youn Yuh-jung leaves Hook Entertainment, which was recently embroiled in Lee Seung-gi controversy

Despite rumors of the actress' exit being firmly denied by her agency in November, just a month later, they released an official statement confirming the news:

"We are informing you that our contract with actress Youn Yeo Jung, who we have been with since March 2017, has been terminated. We will be rooting for her to always be healthy and see her in good works."

Apart from being the first Korean to win an Oscar, the 75-year-old artist was also the first Korean actress to receive the Screen Actors Guild Award and British Academy Film Award. She was most recently seen in the television adaptation of the novel Pachinko alongside actor Lee Min-ho, who played a lead role in the series.

The actress, however, is not the only artist to have left the agency. Recently, singer-actor Lee Seung-gi announced that he has parted ways with Hook Entertainment after 18 long years.

The 35-year-old accused the agency of not paying the fees and profits for the digital streams of his songs. Since signing with them in 2004, the singer has released 137 tracks, including hits like Because You're My Woman and Will You Marry Me.

The lawyers representing him revealed that the artist was insulted or threatened every time he asked for a transparent settlement of his bills. A statement released by the agency noted:

"Lee Seung-gi has decided that he could no longer trust Hook Entertainment and its CEO Kwon Jin-young whom he has relied on as family."

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Netizens' outrage after Dispatch exposes CEO Kwon

Hook Entertainment's CEO Kwon reportedly apologized for the Lee Seung-gi incident and admitted that there were pending payments to be made. While the amount was not disclosed, the CEO went on to declare that she would be willing to do away with her personal assets to settle the payments.

Her apology was only met with widespread criticism by netizens, as Dispatch released audio recordings of her threatening to kill Lee Seung-gi and detailed reports of her misusing company funds.

Calling it a "fake apology," fans said that she should be thoroughly investigated and punished not just for failing to make the payment but also for subjecting Seung-gi to years of emotional abuse.

The company was also seized and searched by the Severe Crime Investigation Division of the National Police Agency in November on charges of embezzlement.

The agency still represents What's Wrong With Secretary Kim actress Park Min-young, Marriage Contract actor Lee So-jin and Korea's National Diva singer Lee Sun-hee.