Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Ex-YG head Yang hyun-suk admits to gambling charges
Former YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun-suk walks out of the Seoul Western District Court, Wednesday, after a hearing. Yonhap
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
Former YG Entertainment chief Yang Hyun-suk has admitted to all gambling charges he is facing.
During a hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday, Yang, 49, founder of the leading K-pop agency, admitted that he used about 400 million won ($335,000) for casino gambling in Las Vegas on some 20 occasions between 2015 and 2019.
Yang's attorney told the court his client has “no objection” to all the gambling charges.
Yang was indicted on charges of gambling, not “habitual gambling” ― a much more serious offense that could bring as much as three years in prison or a maximum fine of 20 million won. If it is not habitual gambling, the maximum penalty is a fine of 10 million won.
Judge Park Soo-hyun said he needs to review the case further to determine whether it was right to indict Yang on nonhabitual gambling charges. The law in Korea does not allow plea bargains ― though they exist in practice ― so judges can reject such deals.
The next hearing will be on Oct. 28.