Kim Yu-na Hurt By Court Battle

After signing a new management contract with IB Sports, a domestic sports marketing agency, figure skating star Kim Yu-na (17, Gunpo Suri High School) is now embroiled in legal battle with former management firm IMG Korea, who have accused her of signing an illegal double contract.

IB Sports said, “We signed a comprehensive contract with Kim Yu-na which outlined that for the next three years we will act as her exclusive management agency in all business areas, including advertisement, sponsorship, licensing, TV appearances and so on.” The management company added, “She deserves better treatment now that she has become a world-class sports star. Her Japanese rival, Mao Asada, generates nearly 4 billion won in income each year. We are planning to expand her scope of activity to the U.S. and Japan, not just confining it to the domestic level.”

Meanwhile, IMG Korea argued, “Last week, we received an abrupt request for contract termination from her mother, Pak Mi-hee. We are her exclusive management agency and our contract with Kim Yu-na still holds until the end of 2010, when the Vancouver Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place. (The contract took effect last May) Therefore, just notifying us of her contract termination and making another contract with a different agency without reaching a mutual agreement with us constitutes a “double contract.”

IMG Korea is preparing for a court battle after seeking legal counsel, saying, “As she became a national celebrity, it (IB Sports) must have lured her in an illegal way.”

In responding to such remarks, IB Sports countered, “Under the first provision of the Civil Law article 689, the contract of agency mandate can be brought to an end at any time. Since Kin Yu-na’s mother notified IMG of the termination last week, their argument of a double contract cannot stand.”

kimsk@donga.com