Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk may have narrowly escaped illegal gambling charges but police have booked him for covering up former iKON leader B.I's drug use.
According to a report by All Kpop, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency confirmed that Yang Hyun Suk was formally booked on charges of threatening, harboring a suspect, and occupational breach of trust in connection with B.I's drug case. He was booked by police on Nov. 6 but he was unable to attend police questioning.Yang Hyun Suk is, reportedly, requesting to reschedule.
The investigation stemmed from a leaked conversation in 2016 between former iKON leader B.I. and former idol trainee Han Seo Hee, wherein the former inquired about purchasing drugs. The conversation was published by Dispatch and caused a scandal that compelled the singer-songwriter to leave iKON and terminate his contract with YG Entertainment.
While B.I is being investigated on drug charges, Yang Hyun Suk will be investigated on charges of threatening Han Seo Hee into remaining silent about B.I's alleged drug use.
Meanwhile, the former YG Entertainment CEO narrowly escaped charges of hwangchigi or illegal practice in foreign transactions after he and BIGBANG member Seungri were investigated for illegal gambling in the US.
Based on the investigation, Yang Hyun Suk was reported to have gambled millions worth of won in several casinos in Las Vegas. Seungri was also found to have gambled roughly USD $861,260 in a single casino in the US.
During the questionining, both individuals admitted to habitual gambling after it was discovered that they made around 10 gambling trips to Las Vegas. However, they did not gamble together.
Apart from illegal foreign transactions, police also looked into the possibility of embezzlement of YG Entertainment's funds. Police included an investigation into the company's accounting records and interviewed its financial officer but found no evidence of irregularity.
"We checked financial accounts, currency exchange details, and corporate accounting data during the five-year statute of limitations, and we investigated all of the informants and partners. We were unable to find any violations of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act," a police official stated in an interview.
It can be recalled that because of alleged involvement in the facilitation of prostitution connected to the Burning Sun scandal, BIGBANG maknae Seungri announced his retirement from the entertainment industry early this year. He also requested the postponement of his mandatory enlistment until the police conclude its investigation. Yang Hyun Suk likewise resigned his position as YG Entertainment CEO after news broke about B.I's drug scandal and company stocks dropped as a result.
