On December 24, Honey Lee’s agency, Team Hope, told Newsen that Hope Project has now completed its registration as a public entertainment management company in accordance with Article 26(1) of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Law, and officially received the registration certificate on October 28. The agency added that will continue to sincerely cooperate with all related procedures in the future.
Previously, on December 23, the Gangnam Police Station referred Honey Lee and her husband to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office without detention on suspicion of violating the Popular Arts and Culture Industry Development Law.
Honey Lee served as CEO and inside director of Hope Project, a company founded in 2015 under the name Ha-nee Co., Ltd., until January 2023. It has since been reported that her husband, identified as Mr. A, currently serves as CEO of Hope Project, while Honey Lee remains an inside director.
On September 22 it was belatedly revealed that Hope Project had continued its management activity for almost 10 years without completing the registration required by law. In response, Honey Lee’s party had previously explained to Newsen that the company was not fully aware of the requirement to register as a public entertainment management company and therefore had failed to complete the process sooner. They stated it once the problem was identified, they sought professional legal advice and proceeded with the necessary measures in accordance with the relevant regulations, with the aim of completing the registration within the relevant period.
Under current law, entertainment agencies that operate without proper registration as public entertainment management companies can be punished with penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won.
Sources: Daum
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