Jung Woo-sung steps down from Artist board 6 months before term ends, raising questions about decade-long partnership with Lee Jung-jae

Actor Jung Woo-sung has stepped down as an inside director of Artist Company, the talent agency he co-founded and ran alongside longtime colleague and business partner Lee Jung-jae. The departure marks a shift in a partnership of roughly a decade, with attention turning to why Jung left management before his term was up.

Jung stepped down from the Artist Company board of directors Saturday, about six months before his term was set to expire on March 28, 2027, according to Sports Kyunghyang.

It has not been confirmed whether the resignation signals a personal falling-out between the two or a complete end to their business relationship.

Jung still holds a 10.99 percent stake in the company and remains on its roster as an actor. The specific reasons behind his resignation have not been disclosed.

Jung's stake amounts to 1,714,108 shares, or 10.99 percent of Artist Company. Lee continues to hold 4,225,882 shares, representing a 27.10 percent stake.

Jung and Lee first met on the set of "City of the Rising Sun" (1999) and went on to co-found Artist Company in 2016.

Artist Company built its business around talent management before expanding into film and drama series production.