2NE1's CL to be referred to prosecutors for allegedly not registering agency for five years

Police said on Thursday that they will refer singer and rapper CL of girl group 2NE1 to prosecutors for allegedly violating the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act by running an unregistered music label for several years.

Singer and rapper CL, a member of girl group 2NE1, is seen in this photo uploaded to the rapper's Facebook page on June 23, 2025. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police said on Thursday that they will refer singer and rapper CL of girl group 2NE1 to prosecutors for allegedly violating the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act by running an unregistered music label for several years.

The Seoul Yongsan Police Precinct said CL will be indicted without detention. Very Cherry, the talent agency she established, will also be referred to prosecutors.

CL founded Very Cherry in 2020 and is accused of running the company for more than five years without registering it with authorities.

The law requires entertainment agencies to register with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism so authorities can oversee contracts and protect artists' rights. Violations can carry penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to 20 million won ($13,600).

From left: Singer Sung Si-kyung, singer and rapper CL from girl group 2NE1 and actor Gang Dong-won [NEWS1]

In the same investigation, police cleared actor Gang Dong-won of similar allegations, saying they found he did not take part in managing his agency. Police said they will instead refer the corporate entity and its CEO to prosecutors.

Scrutiny of unregistered agencies intensified after allegations surfaced in September 2025 that an independent label representing singer Sung Si-kyung had operated without registration for more than a decade.

As similar cases emerged, the Culture Ministry ran a nationwide compliance campaign through the end of last year to encourage agencies to complete registration.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]