Amid controversy over actress Hwang Jung-eum's alleged embezzlement of approximately 4.3 billion won, the production team of 'Solo Since' is actively discussing edits related to Hwang's screen time as the series comes to an end.
On the morning of the 17th, the production team of the SBS Plus and T-Cast E Channel entertainment program 'Solo Since' told OSEN, "There is still nothing confirmed regarding Hwang Jung-eum's screen time for the final episode of 'Solo Since.' discussions are still ongoing," expressing a cautious official position as before.
Hwang Jung-eum has recently faced serious embezzlement allegations. It became known later that she was charged without detention for allegedly taking 700 million won from her agency's loan funds under the pretext of an advance payment to invest in cryptocurrency and embezzling company funds of over 4.34 billion won at the end of the same year.
The agency in question is a family corporation in the form of a one-person agency entirely owned by Hwang Jung-eum. Following the embezzlement controversy, Hwang Jung-eum has signed an exclusive contract with her new agency, Y1 Entertainment, and is pursuing independent activities.
In this context, it has been reported that Hwang Jung-eum acknowledged all charges during the first trial related to the embezzlement allegations. Through Y1 Entertainment, Hwang stated, "I apologize for causing concern among many due to this embarrassing incident. I have established and operated an entertainment agency for my activities. This entertainment agency is a company in which I hold 100% equity, and no other artists have ever been affiliated with it, with all revenue coming from my activities. I was encouraged by people around me around 2021 to increase the company's funds through coin investments, and I ended up engaging in a coin investment that I didn’t know much about."
He explained, "Although it was company funds, I think I made a poor judgment since it was revenue I earned through my activities. I suffered losses from the coin investment, but since I hold 100% equity in the company, there are no other affiliated artists and no creditors except banks that secured collateral, I believe it is fortunate that I did not harm any third parties," emphasizing that he had disposed of personal assets to repay a significant portion of the withdrawn funds.
Amid this, Hwang Jung-eum's ongoing program, 'Solo Since', is set to air its final episode on the 20th. The production team is grappling with decisions around full edits and reduced screen time for Hwang. Initially, the production team stated, "We are waiting for the statement from Hwang Jung-eum’s agency," but discussions seem to have continued even after an apology statement was released through the agency.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
[OSEN]