Image source: Newsis
With Yang Hyun-suk, the head of YG Entertainment, confirmed guilty on charges of interfering with singer B.I's drug investigation, the company released an official response.
YG Entertainment said in a statement released on the 18th, "The Supreme Court's ruling is regrettable, but we humbly accept it."
In addition, "He was found not guilty in the first and second trials of the 'threat of retaliation' charge, which was initially indicted, but during the second trial, the prosecution changed the indictment to a new charge of 'forced interview,' and after a legal battle lasting 5 years and 8 months, we received the Supreme Court's decision," he said, adding, "We will work with a more responsible attitude in the future."
The 1st Division of the Supreme Court (Presiding Judge: Justice Ma Yong-ju) upheld the lower court ruling that sentenced Yang Hyun-suk, who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to 6 months in prison and 1 year of probation.
Yang Hyun-suk was arrested on drug charges in August 2016. When a trainee named Han stated that YG singer B.I had purchased drugs, he was accused of cajoling and threatening Han in order to hinder the investigation.
The prosecution brought Yang Hyun-suk to court on charges of threatening retaliation under the Special Price Act, but when he was found not guilty in the first trial, they added the charge of coercing an interview in the second trial, leading to a guilty verdict.