Prosecution Indicts Yang Hyun-suk on Allegations of Covering Up 'B.I Drug' Investigation

Former YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk, who is accused of engaging in overseas gambling involving hundreds of millions of won, is attending the sentencing hearing held on the 27th at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Yang Hyun-suk, former YG Entertainment CEO and general producer, who is suspected of covering up the drug use investigation of former idol group iKON member B.I (25, real name Kim Han-bin), has been indicted.

According to the legal community on the 7th, the Violent Crime Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Won Ji-ae) indicted former CEO Yang without detention on the 28th of last month on charges of retaliatory threats under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Former CEO Yang is accused of persuading and threatening A, a whistleblower in this case, to prevent the investigation into B.I after A testified to the police about suspicions that B.I purchased drugs when A was arrested and investigated by the police for drug use in August 2016.

While indicting former CEO Yang, the prosecution also sent B.I to trial on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. B.I is accused of purchasing marijuana and LSD, a type of drug, through acquaintance A in April-May 2016 and using some of them.

Meanwhile, former CEO Yang was fined 15 million won by the Seoul Western District Court in November last year for repeatedly engaging in high-stakes overseas gambling in Las Vegas, USA.