[Sportschosun Baek Ji-eun] MC Mong kept up his live broadcasts despite the arrest risk facing Cha Gawon, chairman of ONE HUNDRED.
MC Mong held live streams on his personal account on the 14th and 15th. He interacted with fans by playing requested songs and reading their messages, and even broadcast live from outside his home. Throughout the streams, he looked cheerful and joked around with fans.
The live broadcasts drew attention because an arrest warrant was requested for Chairman Cha on the 15th.
MC Mong and Cha founded ONE HUNDRED together in 2023. MC Mong stepped away from company-related duties in June last year and parted ways with Cha, but MBC's "PD Note" recently claimed that the two had an inappropriate relationship, that Cha had diverted part of the 115 billion won in company investment funds into a personal account, and that 12 billion won of that was used for MC Mong's overseas gambling trip to Las Vegas, United States. In response, both MC Mong and Cha denied all allegations, including the affair, gambling, and misuse of company funds.
However, the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency recently requested an arrest warrant for Cha from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes. Prosecutors are reviewing the warrant request.
Cha is accused of proposing a business using the intellectual property rights of artists under ONE HUNDRED, signing a contract with Nomus, receiving a 24.2 billion won advance payment, and then failing to carry out the project.
Police believe Cha concealed the fact that a contract he had already signed with another company was not due to expire anytime soon, entered into a double contract with Nomus, and was not in a position to proceed with the business.
Separately, Cha is also accused of agreeing with an acquaintance to lease homes they each owned on a jeonse basis, receiving a 5.4 billion won deposit, and then failing to honor his own side of the deal.
Cha plans to file a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) on the 16th, claiming that the head of the investigation team and an investigator violated human rights during the probe. His side said, "It is regrettable that an arrest warrant was requested even though illegality was confirmed during the search and seizure process and a quasi-appeal has already been filed. We have refuted all allegations raised during the police investigation. We question whether the police are properly understanding the law and the facts."
Baek Ji-eun, silk781220@sportschosun.com
