Prosecution demands 3-yr sentence for YG Entertainment founder in whistleblower blackmail case

SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution sought three years in prison for Yang Hyun-suk, founder and former head of K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment, Monday for blackmailing a whistleblower in an attempt to block an investigation into a drug scandal involving a singer-rapper with the company.

Yang was indicted for threatening a former trainee who testified to police in 2016 about drug suspicions surrounding B.I, a former member of YG's boy band iKON.

During a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, the prosecution demanded a three-year sentence for the defendant, saying he thwarted an initial investigation into B.I by intimidating the informant, and made huge profits from iKON's success at home and in Japan.

The informant was apprehended in August 2016 on her own drug charges and told police that B.I, whose legal name is Kim Han-bin, bought marijuana and LSD pills that year.

The aspiring singer later said Yang called her to his office and threatened to ruin her career unless she reverses her testimony.

Five years later, in September 2021, B.I was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years, for illegal drug use.

Yang has denied the charges. The K-pop guru stepped down as chief producer of the company in June 2019 amid the scandal.

The court will make a ruling on Yang on Dec. 22.
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