GOT7's Youngjae calls out musical production company again over nearly a year of unpaid fees

GOT7's Youngjae went back to SNS on July 20 to demand payment — again.

The musical actor reposted his June appeal about unpaid appearance fees from Dream High Season 2. "Please settle the payment~ and have a pleasant Monday!" he wrote. By August, it will be close to a year since the fees were last settled.

Youngjae said the production company had promised to clear the balance by June 9, then by the end of June. Neither deadline was met. "Every time I contact them, I only hear 'please wait a little longer,'" he wrote. He's lost count of how many times he's been told payment would come within the month. He also pushed back on the company framing partial payments as progress: "Don't say that payment is progressing after paying only part of the amount owed."

"Did I ask for money unfairly? Are all the hours I practiced, my effort, and all that process worth nothing?"

The production company, Art One Company, stated on June 10 that it had "amicably agreed" with Youngjae's side to settle remaining unpaid fees by the end of June. Youngjae's side flatly denied that any such deadline was ever discussed or confirmed. He took legal action against the company earlier this year.

Youngjae is not alone. Musical actor Peter disclosed on SNS that he received a message from the same company asking him to delete posts in exchange for payment. On July 7, Peter wrote that a settlement taking over a year "seems like it will be resolved in one day after posting." Former employees have also filed complaints with the Ministry of Employment and Labor over unpaid wages, unpaid severance, and alleged verbal abuse by the company's representative.

Art One Company recently announced Dream High 3, casting singers Seven and Sun Ye. Dream High was relaunched as a show musical in 2023, with Season 2 presented last year.