[Sportschosun reporter Kim Jun-seok] Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi has become embroiled in a dispute over unpaid construction costs for a newly built building, following his earlier conflict over a 10.5 billion won lease contract.
According to The Fact on the 10th, Lee Seung-gi has recently been in conflict with PIAK Construction, the contractor, over the remaining balance for a five-story building he built in Jangchung-dong, Jung District, Seoul.
The building completed ownership registration at the end of last month, but the contractor is reportedly exercising a lien, leaving access to the building restricted.
Lee Seung-gi's side acknowledged that some construction payment remains outstanding, but argued that no inspection had been carried out to determine whether there were defects in the building or whether it had been constructed according to the design plans.
It also countered that delay penalties were incurred because the project ran behind schedule, and that additional construction costs were billed without prior consultation. Lee Seung-gi's side is now said to have filed a petition for an injunction to hand over the building and is awaiting the court's decision.
PIAK Construction is a company run by Park Hyun-cheol, the husband of PIAK Group Chairman Cha Ga-won.
Lee Seung-gi had previously clashed with ONE HUNDRED, the label led by Cha, after notifying it of the termination of his exclusive contract over unpaid settlement money and other issues.
The dispute between the two sides has recently expanded into controversy over a 10.5 billion won lease contract.
In an episode of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)'s "PD Notebook" aired last month, Lee Seung-gi's side claimed that the lease deposit for a villa owned by Cha was set at more than three times the amount initially disclosed, and that there were also problems with the structure for covering loan interest payments.
In response, Cha's side said, "I have been covering the loan interest for three years," and dismissed the claim as "a misunderstanding on Lee Seung-gi's side."
With the contract termination dispute, the 10.5 billion won lease controversy, and now the new building construction payment fight, the conflict between Lee Seung-gi and Cha Ga-won's side is expected to continue for the time being.
narusi@sportschosun.com
