2NE1’s CL Sent To Prosecutors For Alleged Crime, Could Be Jailed If Guilty
2NE1‘s leader and now soloist CL has been referred to prosecutors on allegations of operating an unregistered entertainment agency.
On January 22, 2026, the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul announced that it plans to forward CL to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act. The corporation operated by CL will also be referred alongside her. CL is accused of having operated her one-person agency, “Very Cherry,” for over five years without reporting it to authorities after establishing the company in 2020.
Under the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, operating an entertainment business without registration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism can result in up to two years in prison or a fine of up to ₩20.0 million KRW (about $13,700 USD).
Meanwhile, police decided to drop charges against actor Kang Dong Won, who faced similar allegations, while referring his agency’s CEO and the corporation itself to prosecutors. Police determined that Kang Dong Won was not involved in operating the agency.
CL’s case was previously visited in September 2025, where a media outlet tipped off the world, and subsequently law enforcement.
Last September, allegations surfaced that the one-person agency of singer Sung Si Kyung had been operating without registration for over 10 years, leading to a series of cases in which entertainment agencies were found to have failed to fulfill registration requirements. You can read more about it here.
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