CL of K-pop girl group 2NE1 allegedly running an unregistered agency

South Korean rapper CL, leader of K-pop girl group 2NE1, may face charges for running a one-person agency without registration.

The Yongsan Police Station in Seoul announced on Jan 22 that CL, whose real name is Lee Chae-rin, has been referred to prosecutors without detention for violating the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act.

Under South Korean law, operating an entertainment agency requires registration, and failure to do so can result in imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million won (S$17,400).

CL, 34, rose to fame in 2009 as a member and leader of 2NE1, which were under entertainment company YG Entertainment. She set up her one-person agency, Very Cherry, in 2020 to manage her solo career after her contract with YG expired.

In September 2025, South Korean media outlet TenAsia said she has been running Very Cherry without registering the agency as a “pop culture and arts planning business” for more than five years.

Very Cherry admitted to administrative oversights then and said that it had begun to complete the necessary procedures.

The police also referred the chief executive of AA Group, the agency of South Korean actor Gang Dong-won, to prosecutors on Jan 22 for running the company without registration since its establishment in 2023.

Gang, 45, was cleared of the charges as it was determined that he had focused solely on acting and was not involved in the management of the agency.

Several other celebrities, including singer Sung Si-kyung and musical actress Ock Joo-hyun, were also named in September 2025 for running their agencies without proper registration.

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said then it would grant a grace period till Dec 31, 2025, for celebrities to comply with the requirements.