Comedian-Turned-Entrepreneur Lee Won-seung Reported for Violating Farmland Act

Purchase of Farmland Under Spouse's Name
Charges of Installing and Operating Outdoor Stage
Illegal Waste Dumping and Threats Also Involved

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] It was confirmed on the 28th that Lee Won-seung (62), a comedian-turned-entrepreneur, has been reported to the police on charges including violation of the Farmland Act.

The Gapyeong Police Station in Gyeonggi Province summoned Jeong Dae-taek and others who filed the complaint regarding Lee's suspected violation of the Farmland Act and illegal dumping of construction waste for investigation yesterday afternoon. Jeong and others claimed that Lee purchased farmland in the Gapyeong-eup area of Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, under his spouse's name, did not farm the land, and instead installed and operated an outdoor stage. Last month, they filed a complaint with the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters. They also alleged in the complaint that Lee and his spouse demolished illegal buildings they were constructing on the farmland, illegally dumped the waste nearby, and threatened the original residents under the pretext of creating a celebrity village. In the complaint, Jeong and others stated, "The Lee couple acted as self-proclaimed wealthy commoners, appeared on broadcasts, engaged in entertainment activities, and operated restaurants, living affluent lives while committing illegal acts."

After receiving the complaint, the National Investigation Headquarters transferred the case to the jurisdictional Gapyeong Police Station. After reviewing the complaint, the Gapyeong Police Station summoned Jeong and others yesterday to investigate the facts and the purpose of the complaint. After completing the complainant investigation, the police are considering whether to summon Lee and his spouse for questioning. No schedule has been set yet for the investigation of the accused. During this process, the status of Lee and his spouse in the investigation may change from accused to suspects. It is also known that the complaint submitted by Jeong and others included a considerable amount of evidence supporting the criminal charges against the Lee couple. A police official stated, "We will investigate according to the principles."

Lee debuted in 1982 through the 2nd MBC Radio Gag Contest and gained popularity. In 1998, he opened and operated a Napoli pizza restaurant in Daehangno, Seoul. After settling in Ihwa-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, Lee established the nonprofit corporation 'Eoseolpeun Yeongeuk Maeul' (Clumsy Theater Village) with the intention of turning the village into a theater village. The concert stage location hosted by this corporation is known to be the problematic farmland mentioned in the complaint.

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