Agency denies affair allegations against rapper Yang Hong-won

AP Alchemy has filed a criminal complaint against a whistleblower for extortion and defamation following allegations that rapper Yang Hong-won visited a motel with a woman three to four weeks before his wedding on the 18th. The agency claims the whistleblower maliciously edited evidence to demand money.

Rapper Yang Hong-won has become embroiled in an affair scandal just five days after his wedding. As privacy controversies surfaced before he could enjoy his newlywed life, his agency immediately moved to refute the claims. While admitting that he went to a motel with a woman, the agency drew a line by stating there were no acts of affection and claimed that the whistleblower maliciously edited conversations and call logs to demand money. AP Alchemy announced it has filed a criminal complaint against the whistleblower and plans to take strong legal action.

AP Alchemy, the agency representing Yang Hong-won, released an official statement on the 23rd regarding the recent allegations. The agency stated that the statement was prepared after verifying the accounts of Yang Hong-won and the woman who was with him at the time, asserting that the whistleblower's claims are untrue and that the released materials are the result of malicious editing.

According to the agency, the incident began during a drinking session on the day of a performance. The agency explained that Yang Hong-won interacted with the whistleblower, whom he met by chance, and drank at the whistleblower's house after the performance ended. It was then claimed that the two left the house after the whistleblower demanded that Yang Hong-won and the woman move to a motel designated by the whistleblower.

The agency stated that Yang Hong-won went to the motel because he was heavily intoxicated and needed a place to sleep, and the woman accompanied him because she also had nowhere else to go. In doing so, the agency effectively admitted that the two went to an accommodation together. However, the agency emphasized that interpreting this as an action stemming from a voluntary romantic relationship is contrary to the facts.

The agency also provided a specific explanation regarding the situation inside the room. According to AP Alchemy, Yang Hong-won fell asleep as soon as he entered the room. When the woman attempted to wake the sleeping Yang Hong-won, she reportedly felt burdened by the potential physical contact that could occur, leading her to request help from the whistleblower, eventually returning home with the whistleblower. The agency claimed that the two did not engage in significant conversation during the drinking session and that no acts of affection occurred in the room.

The core of the controversy is shifting from whether they accompanied each other to a motel to the circumstances under which the exposure occurred. The agency claims that after some time had passed following the incident, the whistleblower, facing financial difficulties, used the fact that Yang Hong-won and the woman were together as leverage to demand money. They explained that the whistleblower made demands based on false facts by editing existing conversations, and once both parties reported the matter to the police, the whistleblower proceeded with the exposure by re-editing conversation and call logs.

Consequently, the agency announced it has filed a complaint against the whistleblower for extortion, violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, and defamation by spreading false information. The agency stated it is securing additional evidence to support the claim that the whistleblower's assertions and released materials were systematically fabricated. AP Alchemy added that it is receiving reports from acquaintances of the whistleblower and warned that it would take legal action against those writing posts and comments that spread false information. However, these allegations and claims of manipulation are the position of the agency, and the specific facts must be confirmed through investigation.

Yang Hong-won held his wedding with former model Won Hyeon-ju at a location in Seoul on the 18th. The couple announced they had a daughter in November 2024, and they officially tied the knot approximately two years after the child was born. As the allegations surfaced immediately after they revealed they had formed a family through the wedding, the controversy is drawing significant attention.

Previously, on the 23rd, the whistleblower, referred to as "A," posted on social media, "A newlywed groom just went to a motel with a woman. Isn't this wrong?" making the claim that Yang Hong-won visited an accommodation with another woman three to four weeks before his wedding. The whistleblower continued the allegations by releasing messages sent to Yang Hong-won's wife and call contents with Yang Hong-won. As the agency has flatly denied the exposure and initiated legal action, the claims of both sides are in direct conflict.

The affair allegations, which erupted immediately after the wedding, are likely to escalate from a dispute over the motel visit into a legal battle over the credibility of the exposure and the existence of monetary demands. While the agency claims there were no acts of affection and that the exposure was systematically fabricated, the whistleblower has raised suspicions by releasing related materials. It cannot yet be determined which side's claims align with the facts. Attention is focused on how the circumstances of the event and the details of the exposure will be confirmed during the upcoming investigation.

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