As allegations against managers mount, stars confront financial and personal fallout.

The entertainment world’s unseen partner, the manager, is under renewed scrutiny as allegations around a former manager of Seong Si-kyung come to light, drawing attention to past cases in which stars such as Lisa of Blackpink, Cheon Jeong-myeong, Jung Woong-in, and Son Dam-bi suffered financial harm at the hands of managers or trusted insiders. The pattern suggests that trust extended to those closest to stars can become a vulnerability. Industry voices express concern as these revelations unfold.

Seong Si-kyung wrote on social media that trusting someone who betrayed him was hard, saying it is not easy at this age. Fans reacted that it seemed like a betrayal of his character and that manager risk has grown too large. This is not the first time such incidents have occurred.

Cheon Jeong-myeong, who had a 16-year relationship with his manager, said the manager borrowed from his parents and embezzled. He said the shock was so great he considered retirement and that he stopped trusting people, even developing social anxiety. Netizens commented that 16 years could have formed a family-like bond and expressed sympathy that trust can be broken.

Jung Woong-in revealed he lost his entire fortune to a manager and even kneeled to extortionists to seek debt forgiveness, recalling that a car was mortgaged and his house was seized. Netizens described the situation as severe and said betrayal by someone close hurts the most.

Lisa, from Blackpink, was not exempt; her longtime manager allegedly defrauded her in a real estate investment worth around 1 billion won. YG Entertainment apologized, stating that Lisa had been defrauded by a former manager and that some amount had been repaid but the incident caused concern among artists and fans; Lisa said she was shocked to be betrayed by someone she had considered family.

Son Dam-bi had her belongings stolen by a manager trying to pay gambling debts, saying the moving company took furniture, clothes, and underwear, and that this made it hard to trust people afterward. Kim Jong-min revealed repeated fraud by his manager, including withholding appearance fees; he said he had been duped by investment scams many times, and that trust can be a poison. Baekga, a member of Koyote, also lost millions after trusting a close friend in real estate.

In this climate, Seong Si-kyung remains determined that “this too shall pass,” but these cases highlight a structural risk in the industry where trust alone cannot sustain the system. Fans and the industry are calling for safeguards such as clearer contracts, accounting verification, and ethics training for managers. The ongoing disclosures keep fueling calls for stronger protections for other stars.