Singer Lee Hi has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that her one-person agency, 8O8 Hi Recordings, operated illegally for over five years without official registration.

On January 27, media outlet Field News reported that Lee Hi had failed to register her agency, 8O8 Hi Recordings, with the relevant authorities for more than five years. The report states that Lee Hi herself serves as the CEO, while her older sister holds the position of company director.

Previously, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated December 31 of last year as the final deadline for agencies to voluntarily register, providing a grace period to rectify unregistered entities. Despite this, Lee Hi's agency ignored the recommendation and only completed its registration three weeks later, on January 21.

According to the “Act on the Development of the Public Culture and Arts Industry,” currently in effect, any management agency must register with the local government before commencing operations. Violators face up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won.

In response, Lee Hi’s current label, DOOVER, released an official apology to Field News, stating, “As Lee Hi was actively promoting under an exclusive contract with us, she was not aware of the need to register her private corporation separately as a management business. Both the company and the artist acknowledge this oversight and lack of awareness, and we sincerely apologize.” The statement continued, “We will ensure thorough compliance with all relevant laws and procedures to prevent similar issues going forward.”

Lee Hi rose to fame as the runner-up on SBS’s “Kpop Star” in 2012, making her debut with YG Entertainment. She has since released a number of hit songs including “1,2,3,4,” “Rose,” “No One,” “HOLO,” and “ONLY,” earning widespread acclaim.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=MHN DB