Park Na-Rae. Yonhap News

It has been confirmed that a one-person agency founded by the mother of broadcaster Park Na-Rae has been operating without registration as a popular culture and arts planning business.

According to reporting by Ilgan Sports on the 4th, Park Na-Rae had been active for over a year under N Park Co., Ltd., but the company did not go through the registration procedure for the popular culture and arts planning business.

N Park Co., Ltd., established by Park Na-Rae’s mother in 2018, was registered for service and event-agency businesses; however, after the exclusive contract between Park Na-Rae and JDB Entertainment ended in September last year, it had effectively been operated as a one-person agency. Nevertheless, the corporation could not be found on the list of registered popular culture and arts planning businesses.

Registration for the popular culture and arts planning business is required under the Act on the Development of the Popular Culture and Arts Industry. For a corporation or an individual business operator with more than one person to engage in such business, the registration procedure must be completed pursuant to Article 26(1). Operating without registration is punishable by up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to $15,000 (20,000,000 KRW).

Representatives for Park Na-Rae told Ilgan Sports, “We will issue an official statement after checking,” and regarding the unregistered one-person agency issue, they also said, “We are currently organizing an official position with a lawyer.”

Meanwhile, Park Na-Rae debuted in 2006 as a 21st-term KBS open-recruitment comedian, began her activities through ‘Gag Concert’ and ‘Comedy Big League’, and is currently appearing on numerous variety shows including ‘I Live Alone’ and ‘Save Me! Holmes’.