Former YG Entertainment chief found guilty of coercing informant

Former YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk has been found guilty of coercing an informant to withdraw a testimony against one of his former artists in an appeals court on Wednesday.

Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk appears for his ruling on Wednesday at the Seoul High Court [YONHAP]

Former YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk has been found guilty of coercing an informant to withdraw a testimony against one of his former artists in an appeals court on Wednesday.

The Seoul High Court ruled Wednesday that Yang abused his power to force an informant into meeting him. Previously he was found not guilty over threatening the informant by a local court in 2022.

The Seoul High Court sentenced Yang to six months in prison but suspended the sentence for a year, on charges of forcing an interview with a witness who was involved in the illegal use of one of his former artists back in 2016. Yang was first indicted in 2019 on charges of threatening Han Seo-hee, a former K-pop trainee, who was witness to boy band iKON member B.I's allegation of illegal drug use.

Han reported Yang to the police in June 2019, after Yang threatened that he could "ruin her" if she did not revoke her testimony against B.I.

B.I. was given three years in prison with a sentence suspended for four years for buying and using illegal drugs in September 2021.

"Yang abused his authority as the chief of YG Entertainment ordering the informant to turn over her testimony, which she did," the court said Wednesday.

"Due to this, the concluded B.I. investigation was resumed, leading the artist to be punished. Yang's charges weigh heavily as he not only hindered the freedom of statement for the investigation but also violated the criminal justice system for a considerable amount of time."

Last December, a local court ruled him not guilty because "it was not properly proved whether the victim felt threatened.”

Prosecutors appealed, bringing Yang to the appellate court this year.

Yang founded YG Entertainment in February 1998. The company became one of the top four leading K-pop entertainment agencies in Korea. It is home to K-pop groups including Winner, Blackpink, AKMU and Treasure. Yang resigned from his post as YG's CEO in June 2019.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]