YG Entertainment's former CEO Yang Hyun Suk, who was handed over to trial on charges to hinder the drug investigation of iKON's former member B.I. (Kim Hanbin), denied all the allegations.
Allegations Against YG Entertainment Ex-CEO Yang Hyun Suk
Chief Judge Yoo Young-geun of the 23rd Criminal Settlement Division of the Seoul Central District Court held the first trial preparation date for the former CEO. Yang Hyun Suk was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes at 11:00 a.m. KST on August 13.
The preparatory date is a process where the court hears the opinions of both the prosecution and the defense counsel and then decides on a proof plan. Yang Hyun Suk did not appear in court for he was not obliged to appear, only his defense counsel was present during the first trial.
Prosecutors stated Yang Hyun Suk received a report from Mr. Kim, the head of YG's Management Support Office, in August 2016 that "Mr. Han stated that B.I was intoxicated with drugs," then called Mr. Han went to the YG office and threatened to "reverse the statement." The former CEO threatened the future of Han, an aspiring celebrity, and forced him to make false statements.
The prosecutors added that the Ex-CEO threatened Mr. Han with, "It's not even killing you," and forced him to take back his first statement.
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Yang Hyun Suk Denies All Charges
Aside from that, Kim was also indicted as a conspirator to Yang Hyun Suk's crimes.
In return, Yang Hyun Suk's lawyer claimed that he was innocent, saying, "I deny all the charges."
The lawyer added, "It is true that Yang Hyun Suk met and talked to Mr. Kim."
Then, the defense counsel continued, "Most of the evidence of the testimony is in the list of evidence, it is vast and unrelated cases are intertwined, so it is necessary to separate the evidence."
The court accepted the testimony, stating, "But I don't want it to take too long. Please try to finish it within this year."
The prosecution said, "In the case of the defendants, their honor is very important, so it may not be desirable to appear in court frequently and be exposed."
Yang Hyun Suk's next hearing will be held on September 17, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (KST).
YG Ex-CEO's Trial in Progress
Yang Hyun Suk is charged with attempting to sabotage the investigation by convincing and threatening a public interest informant, Han Mo, who raised suspicions that B.I purchased and took drugs in 2016.
Han reported the case to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Right Commission last June 2019.
Since then, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency's regional investigation team has transferred them to the prosecution with an assumption of indictment, for the charges of drug use by B.I. and the charge of hindering the drug investigation by the former CEO.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, which has taken over the case from the Suwon District Prosecutor's Office, handed over Yang Hyun Suk to trial last May after almost a year of investigation.
B.I has also been indicted without detention on the charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and his first trial is scheduled for August 27, 2021.
B.I was charged with purchasing cannabis with LSD, a type of hallucinogen, from Mr. Han in April 2016.
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Written by Annie Barmaine.
