Here’s more testimony of witness Han Seo-hee at Yang Hyun-suk’s trial.
The 4th trial of former YG’s CEO and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk was held today (April 25th) at the Seoul Central District Court. Yang Hyun-suk has been indicted on charges of violating the law on aggravated punishment for specific crimes for allegedly covering up the drug scandal of ex-iKON’s B.I.
Yang Hyun-suk allegedly coerced and threatened Han Seo-hee to reverse her statement in an attempt to cover up B.I’s investigation after Han Seo-hee publicly accused B.I of illegal drug purchase and use in 2016.
On this day, Yang Hyun-suk’s lawyer questioned Han Seo-hee about the details of another defendant, Kim, who was indicted along with Yang Hyun-suk. Kim is on trial on charges of aiding and abetting crime, and Han Seo-hee testified that Yang Hyun-suk sent Kim over to meet her.
Yang Hyun-suk’s lawyer said, “The witness (Han Seo-hee) testified in June 2019 that Kim said to her, ‘I came instead of (Lee) Seung-hoon. I’m a person who handles this kind of thing, I told you not to contact (Kim) Han-bin and Seung-hoon.‘”
In response, Han Seo-hee insisted, “Regarding Kim’s remarks, I understood it as ‘If I am called to be questioned by the police or get caught taking marijuana, I should call him’. I did not expect Kim to come. It was so scary since a strange man appeared then searched my body and looked at my phone. Was it hard to manage me because I’m not under YG? So I thought they sent Kim over to crack down on me”.
Yang Hyun-suk’s lawyer then asked, “Why didn’t you report the Kakaotalk content you shared with Kim at the time when you reported the case?”, Han Seo-hee said, “I didn’t remember what we had talked about. We talked more on the phone than through messages”.
Meanwhile, Han Seo-hee, a singer trainee, reported B.I (Kim Han-bin), a former member of YG’s group iKON, of using drugs while being investigated by the police for her illegal drug use in 2016, but later reversed her position. Afterward, Han Seo-hee said to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, saying, “I reversed my statement due to the pressure from YG”.
However, Yang Hyun-suk denied all charges against him, including the allegation of threatening Han Seo-hee.
In September last year, B.I was sentenced to 4 years in probation (3 years in prison if committed again) for purchasing and administering cannabis and LSD. In November of the same year, Han Seo-hee was sentenced to one year and 6 months in prison for violating the Narcotics Control Ac.t and is being held in the detention center.
