KBIZoom thumbnail default — When Han Seo-hee, a former KPOP trainee, was under police investigation on drug charges in 2016, it was claimed that her lawyer had reversed her statement related to YG celebrities.

Police officer accused Han Seo-hee’s lawyer of not helping her but trying to help YG instead

dhanNovember 6, 2021Last Updated: September 13, 2023

2 minutes read

Han Seohee answering reporters' questions before responding to the prosecution's investigation at the Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seochogu, Seoul on the morning of the 23rd. June 23, 2020 (Photo by News 1) — Han Seo-hee answering reporters’ questions before responding to the prosecution’s investigation at the Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 23rd. June 23, 2020 (Photo by News 1)

At the first trial of former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-seok at the Seoul Central District Court on the 5th, Police A, who appeared as a witness, testified to the lawyer at the time of the investigation, “Are you here to defend Han Seo-hee or are you here to prevent us from investigating YG?” The trial was operated as Yang Hyun-suk was indicted on charges of retaliatory threats against Han Seo-hee.

He said, “While Han Seo-hee was arrested and being investigated by the police office, I checked the contents of her cell phone with her consent, and in the process, I found various circumstantial drug transactions.” On this mobile phone, the names of WINNER member Lee Seung-hoon and iKON’s former member Kim Han-bin ( stage name B.I) came out.

In August 2016, A, an incumbent police officer who was in charge of investigating Han Seo-hee at the Gyeonggi Nambu Administration’s Drug Investigation Unit, also stated that he received a call from Han Seo-hee to respond to an interview request from entertainment media Dispatch a few years after the investigation into YG celebrities ended with Han Seo-hee‘s statement. There was also testimony that Han Seo-hee reported to Dispatch about YG and recommended A to have an interview with Dispatch.

Since Han Seo-hee was under the third and fourth police investigations, lawyer B (female) has been present, and police A testified that this lawyer prevented Han Seo-hee from speaking and answered for her instead.

A said, “While lawyer B was away for a while to answer the phone or go to the bathroom, I talked to Han Seo-hee and she said, ‘I’m sorry. You know I can’t do it. I can’t do it.”

In A’s witness interrogation that day, there was also testimony that Han Seo-hee was caught trading drugs with YG singers and received a strong warning. “Han Seo-hee said she was called to YG and received a warning that says ‘If you supply drugs to YG singers again, I will kill you without anyone realizing it. I would not let you put your foot on Korea,” A said.

The issue of the trial is whether Han Seo-hee was directly threatened by former CEO Yang Hyun-seok not to cooperate with the B.I-related investigation.

B.I attending a sentencing hearing held at the Central District Court in Seochogu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 10th. 2021.09.10 / Photo by Reporter Kim Chang Hyun Chmt@ — *B.I attending a sentencing hearing held at the Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 10th. 2021.09.10 / Photo by Reporter Kim Chang Hyun Chmt@*

Meanwhile, Han Seo-hee, who reported to the police about B.I. and former CEO Yang in June 2019, was exempted from prosecution for selling and distributing drugs to B.I. and others for being a whistleblower.

However, Han Seo-hee was indicted in July last year after being tested positive for psychotropic drugs such as methamphetamine (philophon) and amphetamine in urine tests, a year after she was exempted from prosecution due to her whistleblower report. It was during her probation period so the prosecution canceled the probation against Han Seo-hee due to recidivism.