The Seoul High Court ruled Wednesday that DSP Media, K-pop girl group Kara’s agency, must compensate the Seoul-based apparel company Real Company, which claimed it suffered a serious toll due to the cancellation of the contract between Kara and the agency. 

According to the court decision, DSP Media must pay Real Company 50 million won ($48,800) as Kara failed to maintain the dignity needed to carry out the TV commercial shooting agreed to between the clothing company and Kara’s agency in 2011. 

The contract was signed shortly before two of the group’s members -- Nicole and Kang Ji-young -- filed a lawsuit against the management company. The advertiser claimed that the unexpected legal wrangling and negative news reports about Kara damaged the image of the company’s products, which in turn hampered its business.

Kara, formerly a five-member act, now has only three members -- Hara, Seung-yeon and Gyu-ri. They plan to make their way back into the public eye this month with the TV audition program “Kara Project,” launched to find replacements for those who left the team. 

“Kara Project” will air its first episode through cable channel MBC Music on May 27.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeitica.ock@heraldcorp.com)
[Photo credit: Osen]