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Actor Lee Yi-kyung's agency sues woman who accused him of sexual harassment

Published: 19 Nov. 2025, 18:20

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Actor Lee Yi-kyung listens to a reporter's question at a press conference in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Jan. 15. [YONHAP]

Sangyoung ENT, actor Lee Yi-kyung's agency, announced on Wednesday that it has sued a woman who spread false rumors online about Lee's private life amid ongoing controversy surrounding the actor.

“We have filed a complaint against the author of the posts [...] for blackmail and defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Protection,” said the company.

“We learned of the incident on Nov. 3, filed the complaint and completed the investigation of the plaintiff's statement. However, we understand that it will take some time to confirm the identity of the defendant and conclude the case.”

According to the agency, the “repeated and malicious actions of the [...] user” have “caused significant damage to the actor and our company,” so it will “continue to take strong action without leniency.”

The company also asked the public to continue to report any online posts spreading false information about Lee.

Previously, a woman who identified herself as a German citizen uploaded a series of posts on her personal blog on Oct. 20, accusing Lee of verbal sexual harassment. She uploaded screenshots of KakaoTalk and Instagram messages with someone believed to be Lee, including requests for photos of her body, profane messages and a selfie of Lee.

Actor Lee Yi-kyung [NEWS1]

Lee's side immediately denied the claim. The author of the post then apologized and admitted that the images were AI-generated — only to retract her confession.

Through a social media post on Nov. 4, the woman said, “I am considering releasing more proof,” asserting, “[The screenshots were] not made with AI. It's unfair. They [Lee and his agency] made me look like the bad guy.”

The woman's social media accounts were later deleted.

Following the controversy, Lee left the popular MBC television variety show “Hangout with Yoo” (2019-) after a three-year run as a regular cast member, and his appearance on another variety show, “The Return of Superman” (2013-), was canceled. The producers of “Hangout with Yoo” and his agency, however, stated that Lee’s departure was due to scheduling conflicts.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]