A Korean actor is embroiled in allegations of unpaid supplies at a sundae soup restaurant he operates.
According to Dispatch on the 17th, A, who runs a meat distribution company, claimed that about ₩40.0 million KRW (about $26,800 USD) in payment for ingredients delivered to actor Lee Jang Woo’s sundae soup restaurant has not been paid for eight months.
Lee Jang Woo | Sports Chosun
A said he personally met Lee Jang Woo, who had come down to Cheonan ahead of the restaurant’s opening in November 2023. Payments were made normally at the beginning of the business.
However, over time the payment intervals grew longer, with some months receiving no payment at all. According to A, the outstanding amount grew to about ₩50.0 million KRW (about $33,500 USD) by November 2024 and increased to ₩64.0 million KRW (about $42,900 USD) by January 2025.
A appealed, “I trusted him because he is a celebrity and waited, but payments have been delayed for over a year. He would repay ₩2.00 million KRW (about $1,340 USD) while ordering ingredients worth ₩5.00 million KRW (about $3,350 USD), so the debt kept piling up.”
Finally, in January this year, A sent Lee Jang Woo a direct message requesting a solution, saying, “About ₩50.0 million KRW (about $33,500 USD) in supply payments have been overdue for over a year.” Afterwards, a former staff member of the sundae soup restaurant (a friend of Lee Jang Woo) replied that they would repay ₩2.00 million KRW (about $1,340 USD) per month, but A claimed the promise was not properly kept.
Dispatch said they failed to contact B, Lee Jang Woo’s longtime friend of 20 years, but were able to reach another acquaintance, C, who said, “Lee Jang Woo is not related to the sundae soup restaurant. Friend B was the CEO.”
Also, an official from the restaurant’s F&B company stated, “It’s believed that Lee Jang Woo is co-CEO, but that’s not true. He only took some of the profits for about two months after the opening. Now it’s operating at a loss, so he doesn’t take any share. He only participated briefly at the start to help a friend and has had no involvement since.”
However, A said, “When the pig’s head was boiled on broadcast, it was his store. When the debts piled up, it was run by a friend? I delivered goods based on Lee Jang Woo. I don’t want to know the internal situation of the store. I just want the overdue money paid quickly.”