World-renowned popera artist Im Hyung-joo and the Seoul Popera House. Kyunghyang Shinmun file photo

Behind the Seoul Popera House of world-renowned popera tenor Im Hyung-joo lay the tears of subcontractors

It was confirmed on the 5th that Emblabird, where Im Hyung-joo and his younger sibling are inside directors, has a total of 816.55 million won in overdue construction fees unpaid to subcontractors.

In January, Im appeared on TV Chosun’s variety show “Dad and Me” and revealed the Seoul Popera House, located in Jongno-gu, Seoul. At the time, he boasted, “A four-story, 442-pyeong building I built myself,” adding, “It even has a popera-dedicated theater with 124 seats (Im Hyung-joo Hall),” and drew attention immediately after the broadcast.

The Seoul Popera House officially opened last September. It has been featured in the media multiple times. On the first and second floors are, respectively, the main concert hall, the “Im Hyung-joo Hall,” with around 120 seats, and the multipurpose “Sally Garden Theater,” with around 60 seats.

At the time, Im said, “We plan to create a meaningful space where popera and the arts can be deeply enjoyed in everyday life, including a competition and auditions to discover junior talents in the popera field; a popera academy for nurturing the next generation; master classes; private lessons; and hobby classes, vocal ensembles, and choirs for non-majors among the general public.”

Behind the glamorous broadcast, there were damages to subcontractors. According to court rulings and orders obtained by this newspaper, among the unpaid construction receivables, seven subcontractors received an assignment of claims from the prime contractor and, seeking to collect the overdue construction costs in its stead, applied to the court for provisional seizure totaling 539.55 million won.

The Seoul Popera House as featured in the January broadcast. TV Chosun screen image

Some subcontractors have already filed formal lawsuits demanding the overdue payments and even won judgments. On October 27 last year, the Seoul Central District Court ordered Emblabird to “pay 94 million won and delay interest” to subcontractor A. According to the judgment, the project received use approval (completion) on June 27, 2023, but the companies did not properly receive the remaining balance.

There was another reason the subcontractors have difficulty getting paid. Ownership of the property was transferred on December 11, 2023, to Korea Trust Co., Ltd. When a corporation places a building with a trust company, it becomes difficult for creditors to freely attach the building or put it up for auction.

For this reason, the subcontractors are tracing the money not by targeting the building itself, but by provisionally seizing Emblabird’s right to have the building returned from the trust company in the future, or proceeds and the like; yet they still have not been repaid.

Im Hyung-joo assumed a position as an inside director of Emblabird on February 4 last year. His younger sibling, Im Hyung-in, head of the early childhood education institution Sorgo, was additionally registered last October.

A subcontractor company representative staging a one-person protest in front of the Seoul Popera House. Provided by a reader

On paper, the debtor is the corporation Emblabird, not Im Hyung-joo personally, but the fact that he has not fulfilled the obligations and has appeared on variety shows and the like, boasting, “A building I built myself,” while unveiling a mansion equipped with a 124-seat popera-only theater, seems unlikely to escape criticism.

Some subcontractors who have suffered damages are continuing protests calling for payment of the overdue sums at the site and in front of Im Hyung-joo’s building.

Attorney Noh Jong-eon, managing partner (Law Firm Jonjae), said, “Subcontractors are often run on a small scale, so nonpayment of construction fees is not merely a monetary loss but a serious survival issue that threatens the livelihoods of dozens of workers and their families,” adding, “A 442-pyeong mansion in the heart of Seoul’ must not become a ‘golden monument’ built upon the blood and tears of diligent working people.”

Regarding this, Im Hyung-joo’s side said, “The primary issue lies with the company, not with Im Hyung-joo,” adding, “The Seoul Popera House will undergo a sale process, and we will make sure repayment is made.”