Overview

• On July 18, 2025, the Supreme Court affirmed a six-month prison sentence suspended for one year under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
• Yang Hyun-suk expressed disappointment over the verdict while accepting the outcome and pledged to perform his duties with greater responsibility.
• The case stems from an August 2016 incident in which Yang pressured a former YG trainee to withdraw testimony against singer B.I during her own drug investigation.
• After an initial acquittal in 2022 due to insufficient evidence, Yang was convicted of coercion in a November 2023 retrial and has now seen that conviction upheld.
• The decision highlights power imbalances in South Korea’s K-pop industry while underscoring the need for stronger whistle-blower protections following B.I’s suspended three-year drug sentence.