Court: "Organizer of 'Ronaldo No-Show' Must Compensate Audience with Half of Ticket Price and Damages"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Global soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) has once again won a civil lawsuit filed by spectators against the event organizer, claiming financial damages for not participating in a friendly match held in South Korea in 2019.

The Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 14 (Presiding Judge Kim Jong-min) ruled on the 9th in a damages claim lawsuit filed by 449 plaintiffs, including Mr. Seo, against The Festa Co., Ltd., partially in favor of the plaintiffs.

The court ordered, "The defendant shall pay the plaintiffs half of the ticket price and 50,000 KRW each as consolation money." The plaintiffs are to bear 40% of the litigation costs, and the remaining costs are to be borne by The Festa.

Mr. Seo and others filed a lawsuit claiming approximately 480 million KRW against The Festa, the event organizer, after Cristiano Ronaldo did not participate in the friendly match between the Korean professional soccer All-Star team and Juventus held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on July 26, 2019.

They argued that The Festa promoted Ronaldo's expected participation before the friendly match and that the failure to fulfill this caused liability for damages.

This is not the first lawsuit filed against The Festa due to the 'Ronaldo no-show.' Numerous civil lawsuits have been filed, with plaintiffs ranging from several dozen to as many as 5,000. Among these, the cases that have received first-instance rulings were all partially in favor of the plaintiffs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.