Actress Hwang Jung Eum has made an appearance in court, facing allegations of embezzling funds from the company she managed and investing the money in cryptocurrency.

The court held its first hearing in the case, presided over by Judge Lim Jae Nam, involving 41-year-old Hwang Jung Eum, charged with embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

The accusations claim that Hwang Jung Eum appropriated around 4.34 billion KRW from her management agency, which she wholly owns through a family corporation. She allegedly took 700 million KRW from company funds in early 2022 and invested it in cryptocurrency, ultimately misusing the entire amount by December 2022, with 4.2 billion KRW being directed towards cryptocurrency investments.

During the hearing, Hwang Jung Eum acknowledged the charges, with her legal team explaining that while the facts are not disputed, the intent behind investing in cryptocurrency was to benefit the company. The defense argued that since the agency's profits are derived from her work, any gains belong to her and that efforts are underway to compensate for the damages using proceeds from the sale of assets.

The defense also requested additional time to organize full restitution of the damages, which was granted by the court.

Additionally, Lee Do Hyun's discharge from military service after 21 months and reunion with Lim Ji Yeon has attracted attention.