Police are set to summon Big Bang star Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, former head of K-pop entertainment house YG Entertainment, for questioning on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, on charges of overseas gambling. 


Seungri, 29, formerly of K-pop boy band Big Bang, and Yang, 50, former chief producer and founder of YG Entertainment, are under investigation on suspicions that they gambled in a hotel casino in Las Vegas. Gambling is illegal in Korea, and Korean citizens are held to the country’s laws even while traveling abroad.

The two are also suspected of having secured gambling funds through illegal foreign exchange transactions.

Police raided YG Entertainment’s office in western Seoul on Aug. 17 to secure relevant evidence. They are also reportedly asked for financial documents of YG Entertainment’s US entity from American authorities to analyze them and see whether they misappropriated company funds for gambling.

Min Gap-ryong, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, on Monday vowed to swiftly and sternly conduct an investigation into the cases.

Yang is already under probe on suspicions he procured sexual services for two investors from Southeast Asia in 2014 at an adult entertainment establishment in southern Seoul.

Seungri is being investigated for allegations of having procured prostitutes for investors, as well as allegations of the embezzlement of company funds.

(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)