CL Transferred to Prosecutors for Operating Unregistered Agency “Berry Cherry” for 5 Years

Singer CL is being transferred to prosecutors on charges of operating an unregistered agency for over 5 years. The Yongsan Police Station in Seoul announced it plans to refer CL for investigation under the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act without placing her under arrest, along with the corporation she operated.

CL is accused of founding the one-person agency “Berry Cherry” in 2020 and running it without reporting to authorities for approximately 5 years. The Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act stipulates that operating a business without registration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism can result in up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won. This registration system was established by authorities to protect contracts and rights of entertainers.

The police issued a clearance decision for actor Kang Dong-won, who faced similar allegations. They determined that Kang Dong-won was not involved in operating the agency and decided instead to refer only the agency representative and the corporation to prosecutors.

Inspections of unregistered agencies have been intensified recently. In September last year, allegations arose that the one-person agency belonging to singer Sung Si-kyung had been operating unregistered for over 10 years, bringing attention to the issue of entertainment agencies failing to fulfill their registration obligations. As a result, more cases of entertainment agencies not complying with registration requirements have been uncovered one after another. By the end of last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted a “mandatory registration guidance period for popular culture and arts planning businesses” to encourage voluntary registration.