Rapper Yang Hong-won denies cheating claims, takes legal action

Rapper Yang Hong-won's agency has denied allegations that he cheated on his wife, accusing the person behind the claims of fabricating evidence and attempting to extort money from the artist.

In a statement released Friday, Yang's agency AP Alchemy said the allegations were false and that the materials made public had been “maliciously edited.”

“The accuser threatened Yang Hong-won and the woman involved in an attempt to extort money,” the agency said. “When those attempts failed, the accuser went public with allegations based on false information.”

The agency said it had filed a criminal complaint against the accuser on charges of extortion, violating the antistalking law and defamation by spreading false information.

AP Alchemy also provided a detailed account of the incident at the center of the allegations.

According to the agency, Yang and a woman were drinking at the accuser's home after a performance when the accuser demanded that they leave and go to a motel of the accuser's choosing.

The agency acknowledged that Yang, who was heavily intoxicated, and the woman, who had nowhere else to go, ended up at the motel together but denied that anything romantic or sexual took place.

“The two barely spoke to each other even while drinking, and there was no physical intimacy whatsoever in the motel room,” the agency said.

Yang fell asleep shortly after entering the room, according to the agency. The woman later contacted the accuser after feeling uncomfortable with the physical contact involved in trying to wake Yang, and the two — the woman and the accuser — left together.

The agency further alleged that the accuser, who had subsequently fallen into financial difficulties, edited previous conversations and used them to demand money based on false claims.

It said no money had been paid to the accuser and that it had no intention of making any payments.

The agency also said it was receiving information from acquaintances of the accuser that could support its claim that the allegations had been deliberately fabricated.

“We will take strong legal action against the accuser and those who spread false information through online posts and comments,” the agency said.

It also apologized for causing public concern over the controversy involving its artist.

The allegations first surfaced when an anonymous individual claimed on social media that Yang had visited a motel with another woman. The accuser also released audio recordings of phone conversations and messages allegedly sent to Yang's wife, Won Hyun-ju. 

Yang, who rose to prominence through Mnet's hip-hop competition show “High School Rapper” (2017–) welcomed a daughter in November 2024. He held a wedding ceremony with Won, a former model, on Oct. 18.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]