Comedian Park Na-rae's dispute with her former manager has exploded into a money controversy, fueling an increasingly heated battle over the truth. With suspicions that 30 million won in appearance fees were embezzled, former manager A refuted the claim head-on, saying, "Every step was a legitimate procedure carried out with Park Na-rae's approval."
On the 20th, multiple outlets reported A's statement: "Drafting contracts, deposits and withdrawals, and all event and advertising procedures were impossible without Park Na-rae's confirmation," adding, "The deposit of the appearance fee was also prearranged with Park Na-rae, and it was absolutely not embezzlement." A further argued, "I already said this during questioning at Seoul Yongsan Police Station last month, and Park Na-rae is making claims that are not factual."
Previously, Park Na-rae's side said they confirmed that 30 million won from Company L's event fee—money that should have been paid to her agency, N-Park—was instead sent to the account of YYAC, a corporation represented by former manager A, and filed a criminal complaint against A for occupational embezzlement. YYAC, established in 2015, is unrelated to Park Na-rae's agency.
A was also suspected of having received another brand's 10 million won appearance fee into the same YYAC account last June using the same method. Park Na-rae's side stated, "We never received any report on that project," adding, "We only discovered the facts later while reviewing settlements after A left the company." They continued, "We submitted related evidence to the police investigation."
In response, A emphasized, "The designated account for the appearance fee was decided after discussing it with Park Na-rae, and all work was conducted transparently," but offered no specific explanation as to why the money was deposited into a corporation account A operates rather than the agency's account.
The clash between Park Na-rae and former managers has already escalated into multiple criminal complaints and accusations. The former managers have accused Park Na-rae of workplace bullying, aggravated assault, defamation by alleging false facts, violations of the Information and Communications Network Act, and embezzlement. Park Na-rae, in turn, has filed complaints against the former managers for attempted extortion and occupational embezzlement.
With both sides presenting starkly conflicting claims and signs of a prolonged standoff, the case is expected to be settled by the judicial authorities. Shaking up the entertainment industry, this controversy will likely enter a new phase depending on the police investigation's findings.