Yang Hyun-suk, Accused of Illegal Gambling Abroad, Referred to Formal Trial

In May, Prosecutors Filed a Summary Indictment Considering Precedents,
But the Court Referred the Case to a Formal Trial on the 16th

Former YG Entertainment Chief Producer Yang Hyun-suk [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Yang Hyun-suk (51), former CEO and producer of YG Entertainment, who is accused of overseas gambling involving hundreds of millions of won, will face a formal trial.

According to the Seoul Western District Court on the 21st, the court handling the case related to former CEO Yang referred Yang and three others, who were summarily indicted in May, to a formal trial on the 16th. The trial will be conducted under Judge Park Soo-hyun of Criminal Division 9.

A summary indictment is a procedure in which the prosecution requests a fine or penalty through written examination instead of a formal trial. If the parties or the court raise objections, the case is forwarded to a formal trial.

Yang is accused of leaving the country seven times from July 2015 to January 2019 and gambling a total of $335,460 (approximately 388 million won) at casinos in Las Vegas, USA, along with other companions.

The police sent Yang to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment on habitual gambling charges. However, the prosecution, considering precedents and the number of gambling instances, determined that habitual gambling was not established and summarily indicted him on simple gambling charges.

The date for Yang’s first trial has not yet been set.

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