"Bought Song Minho's Painting for 25 Million Won but Haven't Received It for 2 Years" vs "Female Singer Already Booked"

Song Minho, a member of the group WINNER who has been embroiled in allegations of poor service, has once again come under scrutiny over a 'painting scam' controversy, JTBC's 'Sageon Banjang' reported on the 24th.

The informant purchased a work titled 'I thought' for 25 million KRW through the gallery responsible for consignment sales at Song Minho's first solo exhibition in December 2022. The artwork was supposed to be delivered to the informant around February 2023, after the exhibition ended, but the gallery repeatedly postponed the delivery citing overseas exhibition schedules and other reasons.

원본보기 아이콘

Meanwhile, the curator in charge contacted the informant saying, "After negotiating the sale, the exhibition proceeded, but due to issues such as overseas exhibitions, Song Minho does not want to sell the painting currently on display," and added, "The artist will provide a similar new work instead."

The informant protested, saying, "Who deals directly with the artist for the artwork? Transactions are made through the gallery, and who sets the sale price? Isn't it agreed upon by the artist and the gallery? It doesn't make sense that the artist was unaware of the sale," and added, "I want to receive the painting I chose and paid for."

It turned out that the artwork had already been reserved by a female singer who is a colleague of Song Minho. According to the gallery, Song Minho said, "This painting was not even sold to YG Chairman Yang Hyun-suk," and "He was keeping it to give to a famous female singer." Song Minho's side claimed that the gallery made a mistake by accepting a sales reservation without the artist's consent, drawing a clear line.

The informant filed a civil lawsuit for not receiving the artwork despite having paid for it. The first trial court ordered, "Deliver the painting to the buyer, or if delivery is impossible, refund the payment." However, the informant argued that the painting price alone was insufficient. Legal fees alone amounted to at least 20 million KRW, and including other litigation preparation costs and compensation for mental distress, the informant demanded a settlement of 40 million KRW. However, the second trial court did not recognize the settlement claim, and the informant is considering an appeal.

The gallery admitted, "At the time, a less experienced curator made a mistake," but also claimed, "The buyer is making unreasonable demands."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.