Prosecutors Indict Two Mnet 'Idol School' Producers on Charges of Obstruction of Business and Fraud

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The production team of the audition program 'Idol School,' which aired on Mnet in 2017, has been brought to trial on charges of manipulating viewer votes.

The Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyung-soo) announced on the 8th that Kim, the CP (Chief Producer), and Kim, the deputy director of the 'Idol School' production team, were indicted without detention on charges including obstruction of business and fraud.

They are accused of manipulating the paid viewer voting results on the audition program 'Idol School,' which aired from July to September 2017.

Earlier, the police investigating the case sent Kim CP and others to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment in March.

The police began a full-scale investigation last July after the controversy over vote manipulation in Mnet's audition program 'Produce 101' Season 4 arose. Subsequently, the investigation expanded to include previous seasons of Produce 101 and other audition programs such as Idol School.

Producer Ahn Jun-young and CP Kim Yong-beom, who were previously indicted on charges of vote manipulation in the 'Produce 101' series, were sentenced to two years and one year and eight months in prison respectively in the first trial on May 1.

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