Police Forward Prosecution Opinion on B.I. for 'Drug Charges' and Yang Hyun-suk for 'Whistleblower Intimidation'

Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police investigating Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of YG Entertainment, who is accused of threatening a whistleblower to cover up drug purchase allegations against former boy group iKON member B.I (24, real name Kim Han-bin), have handed the case over to the prosecution.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Unit sent B.I, suspected of violating the Narcotics Control Act, and former CEO Yang, suspected of intimidation, to the prosecution on the 27th with recommendations for indictment. Along with them, a total of eight YG affiliates related to the coercion and intimidation of the whistleblower were also sent to the prosecution on the same day.

B.I is suspected of purchasing marijuana and LSD through whistleblower A between April and May 2016 and using some of the drugs. During the police investigation, B.I admitted to purchasing drugs through A and smoking marijuana but denied using LSD.

Former CEO Yang is accused of coercing and intimidating A to retract statements to the police after A testified about B.I's drug purchase suspicions during a police investigation following A's arrest on drug use charges in August 2016.

Based on multiple confrontational investigations and testimonies from related parties, the police judged that former CEO Yang's charges were substantiated. However, Yang is reported to deny all allegations.

A reported these suspicions to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission in June last year, and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, which took over the case, has been investigating for over five months since November last year.

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