The gallery responsible for the performance and sale of his works expressed frustration, suggesting that “It seems that the actor is taking advantage of Mino’s fame“And he announced his intention to pursue legal action.
On January 25, Lee Byung-Gu, Start Art Korea Gallery CEO, said in an interview with Ilgan Sports, “In general, when works of art are sold, the identity of the collector (buyer) must be clearly verified, especially for future exhibitions or logistical reasons. This becomes even more crucial in the case of a celebrity such as Song Mino because there is always the possibility that the buyer can resell the work at a higher price. For this reason, we were more meticulous in verifying details. However, in the case of a (the buyer), their address was not clear and some other information was not up to par. For this reason, we have developed a refund and returned the amount of the purchase. However, he refused the reimbursement and intended a cause.“
An appeared on JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor” on January 24, claiming to have purchased a painting for 25 million KRW during the first solo exhibition of Song Mino in December 2022 through Start Art Korea, but have not yet received the works of art. The piece in question, entitled “I Thinking”, should have been delivered in February 2023 after the end of the exhibition. However, the gallery presumably postponed delivery, citing the times of the exhibitions.
A civil case intended, claiming to have paid the work of art but never received it. The first court pronounced in favor of A, instructing the gallery to deliver the works of art or reimburse the payment. Subsequently, he claimed to have incurred at least 20 million KRW in legal expenses and requested 40 million KRW damage, including compensation for mental anguish. However, when the second court did not recognize the transaction application, a considered decision. In addition, in October last year, he presented criminal accusations for fraud against Song Mino and the gallery.
As for this, Lee Byung-Gus said: “This situation is extremely unjust. “He stressed,”We intended to provide works of art or reimburse the payment, according to the court sentence. We have even entrusted the work of art to our lawyer’s office to guarantee immediate delivery. Despite this, a whole refused and continued to appeal. Now they ask for an agreement. We even offered to cover their legal expenses, but they rejected it. The settlement amount continues to increase, from 40 million KRW to over 50 million krw. This raises suspicions that they are exploiting Mino’s celebrity status to request these amounts. “
Lee declared that while errors had been committed during the process of selling the work of art, the gallery had made every effort to resolve the question amicably with A. however, since it brought the problem to the media, making it a public dispute , the gallery has decided to fight with legal action.
As for the items according to which the works of art in question had already been reserved by “A famous singer near the song Mino“, Lee denies them, stating,”Neither the gallery nor the Mino song have ever made such a claim.“He added,”A is only presenting their side of the story and, given the situation, we are thinking of sueing for defamation and obstruction of business. “
