Singer-turned-broadcaster Shin Jeong-hwan mentioned the past controversy over sexual sponsorship in the entertainment industry.
On the 21st, a video titled ‘[NonNonNon] Epic Debate! (feat. Power, Celebrities, Sponsorship)’ was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Hold the Channel’.
In this corner, Shin Jeong-hwan, former baseball player Kang Byung-kyu, trot singer Jang Hye-ri, and shaman Lim Deok-young appeared.
On this day, when the topic of casting couch came up, Shin Jeong-hwan said, “Celebrities are weaker than you think,” and added, “No matter how popular you are, if the agency’s CEO comes and says, ‘Take some time. The company can grow and you can too,’ wouldn’t you have a meal?”
He continued, “I was having tea and overheard a conversation from some senior colleagues about a junior I know. The business seniors were talking amongst themselves, unaware of my presence, saying, ‘You met someone yesterday,’ and even mentioned amounts. I wondered if I heard it wrong, but they said ‘500,000 won, 1 million won’.”
Shin Jeong-hwan said, “Then, three people simultaneously mentioned one person’s name. They all knew it. I was shocked,” revealing a female celebrity’s sponsorship involvement.
In response, Kang Byung-kyu asked, “Who is it?” and Shin Jeong-hwan replied, “I can’t even tell the production team about this.”
He added, “It’s hard for me to talk about it because they actually meet business people for money, play golf, have meals, and drink together.”
The YouTube production team asked, “Weren’t you caught?” and Shin Jeong-hwan revealed, “I wasn’t caught. In fact, there were slight rumors.”
In response, Kang Byung-kyu added that “There have been several times when exact lists and price tags were circulated,” confirming the existence of sponsorship in the entertainment industry.