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Yang Hyun-suk quits as YG Entertainment head
Yang Hyun-suk announced Friday he had stepped down from all posts he holds at YG Entertainment.
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This photo taken on August 20, 2013 shows YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun-suk at a tvN reality program 'WIN' production announcement in Seoul. (Starnews/AFP/File)
Y
ang Hyun-suk announced Friday he had stepped down from all posts he holds at YG Entertainment. The announcement was posted on the label’s official website Friday afternoon.
He said while he had “devoted the past 23 years of his life to YG Entertainment,” he “couldn’t bear the shameful things being said as if they were true any longer.”
“I believe the truth will be revealed in due time through investigation,” he added.
Yang Hyun-suk faced allegations Thursday that he pressured a witness to change his testimony in an attempt to cover up iKON leader B.I’s alleged use of an illegal drug.
The witness filed a report Tuesday with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission claiming the investigation into B.I’s alleged drug use was dismissed due to corrupt ties between police and YG, according to local media.
B.I, 23, whose real name is Kim Han-bin, bought the hallucinogenic drug LSD in 2016, and police detected signs of the transaction but did not open an investigation into him, KBS reported Wednesday.
During a police investigation in August 2016, the witness testified that he had handed over the illegal substance to B.I. He then abruptly changed his testimony, saying he had never given the illegal substance to the singer.
Yang forced the witness to change his testimony in favor of B.I and paid for a lawyer to help the idol star avoid investigation, according to the report.
Following the change in witness testimony, B.I was not investigated for the alleged drug use.
YG Entertainment could not be reached for comment on the report.
Read also: Fans slam YG for dropping iKON's B.I
Other media reports said that YG had denied the allegation, claiming Yang’s meeting with the witness was to check whether the rumors were true and Yang never forced him to change his testimony.
B.I denied the allegations of his drug use, but apologized and said he would leave the band on his Instagram account.
Police said Thursday they are considering reopening an investigation into B.I.
YG on Wednesday apologized for the drug allegations and announced it had terminated its contract with B.I.
“Taking this seriously, (YG) decided on his departure from the team and the termination of his exclusive contract,” YG said in a statement.
This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
