YG founder Yang Hyun-suk sentenced to one year in prison

Yang Hyun-suk, the executive producer (CEO) of YG Entertainment, who was brought to trial on charges of threatening an informant to cover up drug charges against rapper B.I (Kim Han-bin), received a suspended sentence from the Supreme Court.

On the 18th, the Supreme Court’s 1st Division (Chief Justice Ma Yong-ju) confirmed the original sentence of 6 months in prison and 1 year of probation for former CEO Yang, who was indicted on charges of forced interview under the Aggravated Punishment Act for Specific Crimes.

In August 2016, former CEO Yang was brought to trial on charges of trying to cover up the investigation by coaxing and threatening Han Seo-hee, a former trainee who was arrested by the police on drug charges, when she testified about B.I’s drug purchase.

Initially, the prosecution indicted former CEO Yang on charges of retaliatory intimidation under the Special Act, but after the first trial found him not guilty, the second trial added forced interview charges as a secondary indictment in addition to the main (peripheral) charges and obtained a guilty verdict.

Knetizens angrily commented on the verdict received by the YG founder:

• Not only the defeat, but the punishment for YG kids is too harsh. Is there some dark power behind it?
• Suspended sentence is not innocence. Yang Hyun-suk is guilty, but the sentence is too light.
• In the future, anyone who is tried for covering up a drug investigation will be given a suspended sentence, so I will approach drugs more comfortably… It’s like the judge is encouraging drugs…
• This man is not the ceo of a music company, but the head of some gangster organization. On top of that, even if he commits a crime, he gets suspended sentences!!! Even if he uses drugs or covers up drug investigations, he’s innocent!!!!
• Can’t we get rid of things like suspended sentences? How come these guys don’t get actual sentences?