On July 18, South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld the appellate court’s verdict, sentencing Yang Hyun-suk, executive producer and founder of YG Entertainment to six months in prison, suspended for one year, for coercing a witness in the case.
The case dates back to August 2016, when trainee Han Seo-hee who was under police investigation for drug use, accused B.I of attempting to purchase illegal substances. Yang Hyun-suk was later indicted for threatening and coercing Han to retract her testimony in order to derail the investigation into B.I.
Han claimed that despite police having obtained evidence implicating B.I, no further action was taken, with suspicions pointing to Yang’s intervention. The incident raised public outcry and added to broader concerns over alleged preferential treatment in celebrity drug cases.
In the initial trial, Yang was acquitted on charges of retaliation and intimidation, with the court finding insufficient evidence that his remarks caused Han significant fear.
However, during the second trial, prosecutors modified the indictment, adding charges of coercive interview under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. The appellate court accepted this charge, ruling Yang guilty of coercion, and sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for one year a decision that has now been finalized by the Supreme Court.
Although Yang was acquitted of retaliatory threats, the ruling acknowledges unlawful pressure exerted on a key witness in a major drug investigation involving a public figure. YG Entertainment has yet to issue an updated statement following the Supreme Court decision.
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