YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun Suk was convicted in an appeal court on allegations of threatening retaliation. The court consequently sentenced him to six months of imprisonment and one-year probation.
On November 8 KST, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 6-3 conducted an appeal hearing regarding Yang Hyun Suk’s offenses against the Act on the Enhanced Punishment for Certain Crimes, focusing on charges associated with threats of retaliation. The court reversed the former non-guilty judgment and sentenced Yang Hyun Suk to a six-month prison sentence and probation of one year. In addition, Mr. Kim, a former managing associate at YG, received a judgment of imprisonment for four months accompanied by a one-year probation term.
The charges, dating back to August 2016, claimed that Yang Hyun Suk endeavored to curtail an investigation by intimidating and coercing public interest informant, Han Seo Hee. This was concerning the allegation that B.I, a former YG member of the group iKON, had purchased and consumed drugs.
In discussing the ruling, the court stated, “The prosecution lodged an appeal, purporting the victim’s statement was credible. Nonetheless, the amendments to the indictment involved a forced interview with Yang Hyun Suk, hampering the defendant’s right to defense.”
The court further explained that the successful establishment of a threat could only transpire if the victim was on the receiving end of a specific harm. “The victim’s account fluctuated significantly, and if there were portions she only recalled mid-investigation, it is difficult to assert that the alterations in her statement were wholly natural. The prosecution failed to yield tangible evidence, making it a challenge to substantiate their allegation of harm under undisclosed circumstances.”
Yet, the court conceded that Yang Hyun Suk’s indictment around hosting a forced meeting or employing force might potentially trigger psychological distress and undue pressure. In closing their judgment on Yang Hyun Suk and Mr. Kim with a deferred sentence, the court noted, “As the representative of YG, he misused his social standing and exercised dominance over B.I via reprimanding him, and therefore, he is deemed guilty.“
