Yang Hyun Suk, founder and chief producer of YG Entertainment, has received a suspended six-month prison sentence with one year of probation from South Korea’s Supreme Court.
The decision was made in connection with his role in pressuring a whistleblower linked to the drug investigation involving former iKON member B.I (Kim Hanbin).
On July 18, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that found Yang Hyun Suk guilty of coercing a meeting under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The court determined that he tried to interfere with an active investigation by intimidating Han Seo Hee, a former YG trainee and key informant.
Han originally told police in 2016 that B.I had attempted to purchase illegal drugs. Yang and YG officials allegedly intervened to persuade her to change her statement and prevent further scrutiny toward B.I and the company. The case later led to B.I’s departure from iKON in 2019.
Yang was first indicted on charges of retaliatory intimidation, a more serious offense. He was acquitted of that charge in the first and second trials. However, during the appeal, prosecutors revised the indictment to a lesser charge, forcing a meeting, which ultimately led to the guilty verdict.
The high-profile legal battle lasted nearly five years and 8 months. According to the court, he sought to stop Han Seo Hee from cooperating further with police and aimed to prevent the investigation into B.I from escalating.
Following the verdict, Yang Hyun Suk released a statement through YG Entertainment, saying, “Although I feel disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling, I humbly accept it.” He also noted that the final conviction was based on a revised charge he had not faced at the start of the trial.
Meanwhile, Yang Hyun Suk is embroiled in another lawsuit regarding the smuggling of expensive watches in Korea without declaring them to customs.
