Lee Jang-woo's Side Clarifies Unpaid Dues Controversy

Actor Lee Jang-woo's side has clarified the controversy regarding unpaid bills for the sundae soup restaurant 'Hoseokchon'. His agency, Hoonus Entertainment, stated that while Lee Jang-woo participated in the operations as a shareholder of Hoseokchon, the full payment for supplies was already made to Mujin Co., Ltd., the contractual business partner, according to the contract. The agency explained that the issue arose because Mujin subsequently failed to pay the actual supplier, Company A.

The agency emphasized, "There is no direct contractual relationship between Company A and Hoseokchon or actor Lee Jang-woo, and the reports stating that Lee Jang-woo did not pay the fees are false." Furthermore, regarding reports that "Mujin was the owner of Hoseokchon," they stated, "This is different from the facts," adding, "​Mujin has never held shares in Hoseokchon, and Lee Jang-woo has no particular connection with Mujin."

However, the agency conveyed that they feel a moral responsibility for not sufficiently verifying the performance of the intermediary company within this transaction structure. Regarding the claim that the supplier attempted to contact him via social media, they explained, "Lee Jang-woo's personal account receives many messages, and messages from accounts he does not follow are difficult to check immediately," clarifying, "​It is true that the message was not checked in a timely manner, but it was not an intentional avoidance or disregard."

Previously, one media outlet reported that 'Hoseokchon,' which actor Lee Jang-woo is known to be involved in operating, had not paid for food ingredient supplies on time. According to the report, supplier Mr. A claimed that over 40 million won in payments had not been made for approximately one year and six months, from November 2023 to May 2025. Mr. A stated that he trusted Lee Jang-woo after seeing him personally inspect the meat quality before the opening and began the transaction.

The media outlet also reported that the operating entity of 'Hoseokchon' had changed to 'Horangi,' an F&B company where Lee Jang-woo is listed as a director. In response, 'Horangi' stated, "Lee Jang-woo only provided assistance for about two months in the early stages of the opening and was not involved in subsequent operations," and declared, "The issue of unpaid bills is the responsibility of Mr. B, an acquaintance of Lee Jang-woo."