MC Mong Sued by Kim Min-jong Over Illegal Gambling Allegations

Actor and singer Kim Min-jong has officially filed a criminal complaint against fellow singer MC Mong for defamation.

Kim's legal representative, OhKims Law Firm (Attorney Oh Sung-heon), announced on the 2nd that they submitted a complaint against MC Mong to the Jongno Police Station in Seoul on the 1st, charging him with defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

Kim's side stated through the legal action, "As these claims spread through the media and online, not only has his reputation and trust built over roughly 38 years since his debut in 1988 been severely damaged, but tangible harm has also occurred, such as the suspension of discussions regarding his casting in an upcoming Hollywood project and two commercial contracts that were actively being negotiated at the time."

They added, "We can no longer overlook the damage caused by content that is clearly contrary to the facts," and stated, "We plan to faithfully cooperate with the investigation process to uncover the truth and sequentially proceed with necessary legal measures, including filing a civil lawsuit for damages." They also noted, "If it is confirmed that identical or similar false information is additionally distributed or repeatedly posted, we plan to take further legal measures, including filing an injunction prohibiting the distribution of false information."

The law firm emphasized, "We can no longer watch as the reputation and trust with fans that he has maintained for 38 years are undermined by baseless claims," and stated, "We will hold him accountable to the end according to law and principles without any compromise."

Meanwhile, MC Mong has not yet released an official stance.

This situation began last May when MC Mong raised suspicions regarding a so-called "Baduk-i gambling ring" during a TikTok live broadcast.

At the time, MC Mong mentioned a multi-billion-won illegal gambling gathering involving figures such as Cha Jun-young, a relative of Cha Ga-won, chairwoman of One Hundred Label, and stated, "There is a person who goes around hostess bars engaging in illegal online gambling and receives tens of millions of won in tips by their side. That person is celebrity Kim Min-jong."

Not stopping there, MC Mong stated, "Go ahead and sue me. I have evidence. Let's go all the way," prompting Kim's side to immediately announce legal action, calling the claims clear falsehoods.

Subsequently, a recording of One Hundred Label CEO Cha Ga-won, released on the 18th of last month by celebrity-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, created a turning point.

In the recording, a person presumed to be Chairwoman Cha said, "Because Kim Min-jong was a visitor, there is no record whatsoever." Regarding the accusation that Kim had touched chips and received sanctions, she replied, "They say he didn't touch the chips. That employee spoke directly with the dealer. He was only sitting next to Cha Jun-young."

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)