Yang Hyun-suk To Appear In 4th Hearing Of Appeal Trial For Intimidation Charges Today (25th)

Yang Hyun-suk to appear in 4th hearing of appeal trial for intimidation charges today (25th). Han Seo-hee to testify.

Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of YG Entertainment, will face Han Seo-hee again in the fourth hearing of his appeal trial for intimidation charges.

The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 6-3 will hold the fourth hearing for the appeal trial of Yang Hyun-suk and former YG manager Kim Mo-seok, who were charged with violating the Special Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, including intimidation.

Yang Hyun-suk was indicted in August 2016 for attempting to defuse the investigation by appeasing and intimidating public interest whistleblower Han Seo-hee in relation to allegations that B.I, then a member of YG’s group Icon, purchased and inhaled drugs. Yang Hyun-suk has repeatedly and consistently denied the allegation that he called Han Seo-hee and told her, “It’s not even a question of killing you (in the entertainment industry)” They requested a three-year prison sentence for former CEO Yang Hyun-suk.

In December 2022, however, the first trial court ruled, “To sanction for threats of retaliation or coercion, the victim must be overturned in a state where freedom of speech is suppressed out of fear because of the defendant’s actions. There is insufficient evidence that he caused fear in the victim.” In response, the prosecution submitted an appeal, arguing that the initial trial court misrepresented the facts and erroneously interpreted the law.

In the appeal trial, the prosecution stated, “The lower court found the defendants not guilty, but Yang Hyun-suk met the victim at the YG office building and testified that he had spoken and acted to persuade or pressure the victim, and that agency officials had helped facilitate their understanding.” In this case, the actions of the defendants cannot help but be criticised. Kim Han-bin (B.I), who was adored by the public as the icon leader of a popular idol group, committed drug offences involving LSD, and the accused attempted to conceal his crime.