Kang banned from leaving country over Lee Byung-hun probe

Baseball player-turned-TV personality Kang Byung-kyu has been forbidden from leaving South Korea because of his alleged involvement in actor Lee Byung-hun's feud with his ex-girlfriend, identified by her last name Kwon.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office placed the travel ban on Kang and Kwon's friend, also known to be an acquaintance of Kang's, in relation to a complaint Lee filed against Kwon for defamation.

Last month, Lee had taken legal action against Kwon, a Korean-Canadian who sued the Hallyu star for allegedly alluring her into a sexual relationship on false promises of marriage.

The scandal escalated when Kang visited the set of "Iris" in mid-December over talk that Chung Tae-won, chief of Taewon Entertainment and producer of the hit TV series, had spread false rumor that he was behind the feud between Lee and Kwon.

Kang sued Chung, claiming that the producer had hired a mob to beat him on set. Taewon Entertainment pointed the same accusations against Kang, stating he had hired gangsters to cause disturbance on set the same day.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday booked Kang and two production officials for their alleged involvement in the assault case on the set of "Iris".

Reporter : Ko Jae-wan star@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr