Former idol trainee Han Seo Hee, who claimed to have been threatened by Yang Hyun Suk, has asserted that she does not want the founder of YG Entertainment to be punished.

On August 25, the 6-3 Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court held a trial for Yang, who was charged with revenge threats and other charges under the Specific Crimes Aggravated Punishment Act, and conducted a witness examination of Han Seo Hee.

Han Seo Hee, who attended as a witness along with her close acquaintance, said, "I have been living ambiguously on the boundary between a trainee and a general citizen who can only be described as 'former trainee' from six years ago until now, and it was difficult to receive interest and criticism from the public." She also said, "Over the past four years, I felt like I was hitting rocks with an egg (similar to the idiom: Banging one's head against a brick wall), and I am very tired. I just want to end this fight."

Ms. Han, with tears in her eyes, said, "I only wanted a sincere apology from Yang Hyun Suk. Rather than wanting to prove Yang Hyun Suk's wrongdoing and see him punished, I don't want to hate anyone. I attended this trial to ensure it proceeded justly, and if there had been a sincere apology, I might not have come to this trial."

However, Han Seo Hee did not change her previous claim that she was threatened by Yang Hyun Suk after initially testifying in 2016 about the drug purchase allegation against B.I. (real name Kim Han-bin), a former member of YG's group iKON, who was under Yang's management.

In August 2016, Han Seo Hee was arrested on suspicion of smoking marijuana with T.O.P, a former member of Big Bang; during an investigation, she submitted a mobile phone containing evidence of B.I's drug use.

Han Seo Hee claimed that Yang Hyun Suk later called her to YG Entertainment's office and pressured her to change her statement regarding B.I's drug allegations, saying, "Killing you is nothing." Regarding the question of whether she received money as compensation for changing her statement, Han replied, "It wasn't Yang Hyun Suk who made the deal. If I had received money, this case would not have become public."

The court announced that it would conclude the trial proceedings against Yang Hyun Suk on the 27th of next month, after which it would hear closing arguments and the prosecution's case before delivering a verdict.

Yang Hyun Suk had been on trial on charges of attempting to persuade and threaten Han, who had information about B.I's alleged drug use, in an attempt to cover up B.I's drug scandal.

In connection with this case, Han Seo Hee claimed that the police had evidence of B.I's drug use but did not investigate it, and she asserted that Yang Hyun-suk was at the center of this alleged cover-up.

Han Seo Hee reported this case to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) in June 2019, and the NHRCK referred the relevant materials to the prosecution in 2020. Following a comprehensive investigation, the prosecution brought charges against B.I, Yang Hyun-suk, and three others. However, Han was not included among the defendants.

However, in the first trial, the court acquitted all the defendants, stating that in order to prosecute for revenge threats or coercion, the victim's freedom of will must be suppressed due to fear caused by the defendant's actions. The court cited several reasons for the acquittal, including the fact that Han's statements changed multiple times and that police investigations and media coverage influenced her statements.

The prosecution appealed this decision, adding charges of "forced meetings," but both sides have been at an impasse during the appellate trial since April.

Yang Hyun Suk claimed that he met Han Seo Hee at YG Entertainment's 8th floor and talked for about 20 minutes. However, he stated that it was not a threat, but rather a meeting with someone he had known for several years from entertainment venues and considered her a close acquaintance at the time.

Meanwhile, B.I was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence in prison with a four-year probation period in the first trial in September 2021 on charges of purchasing and using drugs such as LSD and marijuana through a dealer in April 2016.

Han Seo Hee was also sentenced to prison for the third time on charges of drug use. She appealed the second trial's verdict but was sentenced to six months in prison by the Supreme Court in March.