Company led by actress Shin Hyun-joon's wife signed 375.65 million won private contract with Seoul Metropolitan Government

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Allegations have surfaced that Jeiseu and River, a company where Kim Gyeong-mi, the wife of actor Shin Hyun-joon, serves as representative, signed a 375.65 million won contract with the Seoul Metropolitan Government for the production of promotional videos on September 6, 2023. Regarding the contract, Jeiseu and River denied allegations of preferential treatment raised during the production of Seoul Metropolitan Government promotional content, citing their experience in producing independent new media content.

Jeiseu and River stated that they operate the new media IP channel ‘Jeongsin Studio,’ having produced 362 videos and secured more than 154,000 subscribers. They also claimed to have conducted PPL and content collaborations with domestic and international companies such as iHerb and Mode Tour, and asserted they have experience in overseas filming through cooperation with professional creators and studios.

An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government explained that Jeiseu and River had been producing videos for the YouTube channel ‘Shin Hyun-joon Jung Jun-ho’ since February 2023, which served as the basis for proceeding with the contract last year. However, the specific video performance data submitted at the time of the contract and the procedures used to review it have not been confirmed. During an administrative audit, Yoon Seon-hui of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee questioned whether a public contract worth hundreds of millions of won was signed without sufficient verification of video performance, noting that the company has primarily focused on bag, clothing, and accessories design businesses.

Kim Hyeong-rae, the Seoul Metropolitan Government Public Relations Planning Officer, responded that a private contract was not granted during the company's performance review process and stated that it was not determined whether the company produced the videos directly or subcontracted them. Jeiseu and River further explained that they produced a total of 18 long-form videos over the two years following the contract, with a production cost of approximately 20 million won per video.

Shin Hyun-joon was appointed as an honorary mayor of Seoul last September, a position that is an unpaid honorary role. The Seoul Metropolitan Government maintains the position that the service fees for video content produced and delivered must be distinguished from honorary mayor activities. Jeiseu and River stated that the contract complied with laws and procedures, and they intend to clarify the questions raised during the administrative audit based on the contract, business performance history, and production results.

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