YG Entertainment founder and chief producer Yang Hyun-suk has been found guilty of threatening a whistle-blower to cover up a drug allegation that involved a former YG artist.

The appellate court’s ruling of a six-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday on violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which includes retaliatory threats and coercing meetings.

Yang was indicted without detention in May 2020 after being accused of interfering with police investigations related to illegal drug use by singer B.I, then-member of boy band iKON.

When a former YG trainee testified against B.I to the police in August 2016 during her own investigation on charges of illegal drug use, Yang called her to his office and pressured her to recant her testimony.

Yang later admitted to meeting with the trainee, but denied threatening her to give a false testimony. B.I was ultimately given a suspended three-year prison sentence.

A first trial in 2022 found Yang not guilty, citing “insufficient evidence” that Yang had threatened the trainee. A second trial in November 2023 upheld this ruling but brought an additional charge of coercing meetings, of which the court deemed Yang as guilty. Yang was given a sentence of six months in prison, suspended for one year.

“Producer Yang has a superior social status and power within the entertainment industry when compared with that of the victim,” the appellate court said. “The meeting with the victim also took place under constrained circumstances. Even if Yang did not explicitly assert his status or power, given the location, circumstances and context in which the meeting took place, it can be seen as an exercise of coercion.”

Yang appealed the charges but the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.

“I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision, but I humbly accept the ruling,” Yang said in a statement on Friday. “I will carry out my primary duties with greater caution and responsibility going forward.”

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]