'Mr. Trot' Youngtak, Bulk Buying Allegations... Agency Remains Silent

Trot singer Youngtak. Photo by Youngtak Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Singer Youngtak, who won second place on 'Mr. Trot,' has been embroiled in allegations of manipulating music streaming charts.

According to multiple media outlets on the 23rd, when Youngtak's song "Niga Wae Geogiseo Nawo" was released in 2018, there is evidence that Youngtak's agency requested music streaming manipulation from Kim, the CEO of a production and marketing company.

Kim, who received the request from Youngtak's side, stated in a media interview, "Youngtak's side paid money as a marketing fee. Later, when the results were not good, during the refund process, conflicts arose with Youngtak's agency," adding, "There is some ambiguity in music marketing. If it is illegal, it could be seen as illegal, which might cause misunderstandings."

In fact, it is known that multiple accounts related to a channel operated by Kim's company on a music streaming site still show traces of streaming Youngtak's "Niga Wae Geogiseo Nawo."

Regarding this, Youngtak's side has reportedly not issued any statement.

Meanwhile, on the 20th, Youngtak indirectly expressed his feelings about the manipulation allegations on his fan cafe, saying, "These days, there are situations where I want to talk about everything but cannot and should not," and "But don't worry. As a teacher, I have taught kids, and all the broadcasting officials and acquaintances around me can vouch that I have worked honestly and diligently in music more than anyone else, and I will continue to do so."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.