K-Pop Idol’s star wife wins big against KBS

Announcer Lee Eun Juperhaps better known to K-Pop fans as Shinhwa member Andy‘s wife, partially won her wage claim lawsuit against KBS.

On March 24, 2026 (KST), judge Kim Dong Hyun of the Seoul South District Court partially ruled in favor of Lee Eun Ju in her lawsuit against KBS. The court ruled that KBS was obligated to pay her approximately ₩280 million KRW (about $186,000 USD) in unpaid wages. In response, KBS said Xport news, “We respect the court’s decision and will review the judgment before determining our internal course of action.”

Lee Eun Ju first joined a local KBS station as a freelance weather broadcaster in 2015 and began taking on announcer duties the following year. However, after new announcers were hired in 2019, she was locked out of work, leading her to file a lawsuit seeking confirmation of her employment status.

After winning that case, she returned to KBS in January 2024. She then filed an additional lawsuit seeking wages she would have earned over the approximately five years in which she was effectively fired, arguing that her salary should be calculated using the same “Level 4” salary standard as publicly recruited broadcasters. While KBS argued that her wages should be calculated based on “level 7”, the lowest internal rank, the court has since sided with Lee Eun Ju.

Lee Eun Ju married OG K-Pop boy band Shinhwa’s Andy on June 12, 2022. Read more about her life as an idol’s wife here:

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