Singer and DJ DOC member Lee Ha-neul, 54, says he’s been hit with a lawsuit after mentioning Kim Se-eui, 49, head of the conservative YouTube outlet Hover Lab, during a recent livestream.
The flare-up started on Lee’s YouTube channel “Jabgi King Lee Ha-neul,” where he criticized the current administration. When a viewer sent a paid Super Chat, he refused it, stressing he wasn’t speaking for money.
“Don’t send money. If you do, it looks like I’m doing this for cash,” he said, adding, “Then I’d look like Jeon Han-gil or that Kim Se-eui [expletive].”
Kim quickly responded with legal action. According to NewDaily, he filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Oct. 15, accusing Lee of defamation by false information and insult. In his filing, Kim argued Lee spread falsehoods and mocked Hover Lab with those remarks.
After news of the complaint broke, Lee went live again and turned up the heat.
“Since Kim Se-eui came at me, I’ll answer,” Lee said. “You look at Kim Se-eui and wonder how someone like that keeps functioning in society.” He went on to compare Kim to “a snake-oil salesman―stirring people up, roaming small towns, and picking their pockets.” Lee also mocked Kim’s political ambitions: “He really wants to get into politics, but no one’s calling. Smaller than Jeon Han-gil?”
With the war of words now headed for court, attention turns to the police investigation and what comes next for both sides.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)