Lee Ha Neul, a member of the veteran Korean hip-hop group DJ DOC, has been referred to the prosecution on defamation charges, according to documents obtained by Sports Kyunghyang.

On April 16, Lee was officially transferred to the prosecution under South Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act, which covers defamation committed online.

The complaint was filed by the head of Bace Camp Studio, identified only as Mr. Lee, who confirmed to Sports Kyunghyang, “The charges against Lee Ha Neul have been acknowledged, and the case has been sent to the prosecution.” He explained that the accusations stem from Lee allegedly spreading false rumors on social media, claiming that Mr. Lee was “a sex offender targeting minors.”

Mr. Lee posted on his own social media account that same day, writing, “Lee Ha Neul has been referred to the prosecution,” and shared an image of the official investigation notice. In the post, he alleged, “In an attempt to shift suspicion away from his own criminal behavior, Lee falsely accused me—a non-smoker—of being a habitual drug offender. He spread these lies widely among industry professionals and on social media.”

He also said Lee had made numerous baseless allegations in the past, including claims of embezzlement, fraud, and sexual assault of minors. “I don’t smoke or even go out drinking,” he said. “He’s been constantly spreading false information to make himself look better after our contract fell apart.”

Mr. Lee and rapper Juvie Train previously worked at Lee Ha Neul’s label, Funkytown, for about five months. When their contracts ended, they pursued legal action over what they called unfair dismissal.

“I’ve already won legal battles related to unfair dismissal and embezzlement through the Labor Office and Labor Commission,” Mr. Lee continued. “Now, the false claims about me being a drug user and a sex offender have been added to the list of charges. Altogether, Lee Ha Neul is facing four or five separate criminal allegations.”

He added that a consolidated investigation is currently underway and warned, “If these cases are merged, even a settlement might not be enough to avoid jail time.”

This isn’t the first time such allegations have surfaced. Back in September 2024, rapper Juvie Train claimed that Lee Ha Neul had repeatedly spread false information about him and Mr. Lee being habitual drug users. Juvie Train said he was booked by police in August and, in an effort to clear his name, voluntarily took a drug test in April—he tested negative.

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