Lee Gi-kwang Sues People's Party Candidate Kim Geun-tae "Music Chart Manipulation? False Information"

Published 13 Apr.2020 20:45(KST)

Singer Lee Gi-kwang / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Lee Gi-kwang, a member of the idol group Highlight, has filed a lawsuit against Kim Geun-tae, a proportional representation candidate of the People's Party, who raised allegations of manipulation of music chart rankings.

On the 13th, Lee Gi-kwang's agency, Around Us Entertainment, stated, "Our artist Lee Gi-kwang has filed a lawsuit against candidate Kim Geun-tae regarding the baseless false claims that he was involved in illegal music chart manipulation."

Around Us Entertainment pointed out, "Music chart manipulation must be eradicated. However, candidate Kim hastily mentioned the singer's real name without even verifying with the agency, using the internet and public opinion, and gave people who encountered the content the impression that it was true."

They added, "Causing damage to the image of the artist in question must also be stopped," emphasizing, "We once again affirm that there was no illegal manipulation or music chart rigging related to our artist."

Around Us Entertainment also stated, "If an investigation is conducted due to this incident, we will submit all necessary materials and cooperate."

They continued, "In the future, if false information is spread with the intent to defame our artists, we will take all measures including criminal lawsuits and civil claims for damages," adding, "We will do our best to protect the credibility of the artist Lee Gi-kwang, who has sincerely worked for 10 years."

Earlier, on the 8th, candidate Kim Geun-tae claimed, "There were illegal attempts to manipulate the music rankings of a total of 11 teams and singers, including singer IU, Bolbbalgan4, and Youngtak," and stated, "This company manipulated the music charts using general public IDs obtained through illegal hacking."