'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On June 28, 2023, B.I's father appeared as a witness for the CEO of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun-suk's current trial against a case that reported his threats against informant 'A' to drop their charges. In 2016, the informant reported that the K-pop soloist was involved in the purchase of illegal drugs like LSD and marijuana. However, the case failed to stand when the allegations first reached the internet.
Regardless, the re-investigation of the case took place three years later, and the idol was inevitably sentenced to three years in prison. During the trial that's currently taking place, the idol's father admitted to the fact that to prevent his son from serving jail time, he paid YG Entertainment to hire informant 'A's lawyer to direct things according to their intentions.
B.I's father reportedly paid for the lawyer of the informant who filed against the idol with the help of YG Entertainment
The issue primarily started in August of 2016, when B.I and his father left for Japan regarding a few iKON schedules in the country at the time. However, after informant 'A' filed reports against the idol's purchase of marijuana and LSD, the two had to return to Korea before the group's schedules even began to address the issue. However, the idol's drug usage and interactions were successfully covered at the time.
Three years later, when the police decided to conduct a re-investigation into the case, it was revealed that the idol had been using and interacting with illegal drugs. The same cost him jail time of three years, deferred by a probationary period of four years. With many issues piling up around the case, given that Yang Hyun-suk is the CEO of the agency B.I is housed under, he started to take action in an effort to better the artist's situation.
He had reportedly threatened informant 'A' to retrieve their case against the idol, which has now piled up into a court case. While the directions of the case are still vague, B.I's father was called as a witness to expand on the situations that surrounded his son's case of drug usage. He recalled events from 2016 when he accompanied his son back to Korea, where a YG employee stated that:
"Yang Hyun Suk will meet 'A' and put things right, so don't worry."
In addition to this, he also revealed that he never personally asked if B.I was involved with illegal drugs or not, given the conditions of his mental health at that time. Therefore, he added that he wanted to pay for informant 'A's lawyer to safeguard his son.
"I thought that 'A' had lied, and YG should provide them with a lawyer to make things right. But YG said that this was not possible, and so I suggested that I pay for the lawyer, and gave them the fees. YG also thought that for me to directly pay for 'A's lawyer would be suspicious, so they acted as a middle man."
In order to pay for informant 'A's lawyer, it was revealed that through YG Entertainment, B.I.'s father transferred a total of 2 million KRW in cash.
While the direction of the case regarding both B.I and his CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, are vague and unknown, it might get cemented during the next hearing, which is planned for August 25, 2023.
