Following the recent reports on Yoo Jae Suk (유재석) departure from FNC Entertainment to become a free agent, interest has been gathering on which entertainment agency will Yoo Jae Suk sign with. Previously, various news reports revealed that other entertainment agencies such as Kakao Entertainment and Antenna Entertainment were currently in talks with the South Korean ‘National MC’ to sign a contract with them.
The rising hot topic that has been circulated following the recent event is the down payment or signing bonus needed to sign Yoo Jae Suk. The down payment to sign a contract with Yoo Jae Suk was reported to be approximately 10 billion KRW (8.8 million USD). The amount is considered to be the highest contract fee ever.
Both Kakao Entertainment and Antenna Entertainment acknowledged the circulating rumours that they have met with Yoo Jae Suk to discuss the exclusive contract. However, the two companies did not share the details or clarify whether or not the contract has been confirmed.
“It is true that we recently had a meeting with Yoo Jae Suk regarding an exclusive, but nothing has been confirmed yet,” a source from Antenna remarked.
Antenna is a company established by singer-songwriter Yoo Hee-Yeol (유희열) and currently houses a plethora of talented artists such as Sam Kim (샘김), Jung Seung Hwan (정승환), Lee Jin Ah (이진아) and more. Kakao Entertainment’s M Company has recently acquired a portion of Antenna’s company share which ultimately launched a partnership between the two companies.
Yoo Jae Suk is one of the most sought-after entertainers in South Korea, with a series of hit programs including “Running Man”, “You Quiz on the Block” and “Hangout with Yoo.” Despite the rumours of Yoo Jae Suk’s 10 billion KRW down payment, it is believed that the actual amount has not been disclosed.
