"'Killing You Is No Big Deal' Yang Hyun-suk's Threat, Court Testimony"

Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of YG Entertainment / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former YG Entertainment Chief Producer (CEO) Yang Hyunsuk allegedly threatened a whistleblower by saying "Killing you alone is nothing" to cover up the drug investigation of idol B.I (BI·Kim Hanbin), demanding a retraction of testimony, according to court testimony.

On the afternoon of the 18th, trainee singer A appeared as a witness at the trial of former CEO Yang held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 23 (Presiding Judge Jo Byunggu).

The prosecutor asked A, "Is it true that the defendant said to you, 'I am someone who can see all the statements. You are in the entertainment industry, and killing you alone is nothing. If you retract your statement, I will give you a reward and also hire a lawyer for you'?" A replied, "Yes, that is correct."

Previously, former CEO Yang was prosecuted on charges of inducing and threatening A to block the investigation into B.I after A was arrested on drug charges and testified to the police about B.I's suspected drug purchases during the police investigation.

At a prior pretrial hearing, the prosecutor claimed, "Yang called A to the YG office and induced and threatened him to retract his statement," adding, "During this process, he threatened by saying 'Killing you alone is nothing,' causing A to retract his testimony." Yang's side denied the allegations, stating, "It is true that we met and talked with A, but we never threatened or coerced him to make false statements as described in the indictment."

Meanwhile, B.I was indicted in April 2016 for violating the Narcotics Control Act by purchasing marijuana, LSD, and other drugs and using some of them. He was sentenced in the first trial to three years in prison with a four-year probation. Neither the prosecution nor B.I appealed after the first trial verdict, making the sentence final.

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