In September 2022, as romantic rumors with Kang Jong Hyun erupted, Park Min Young quickly severed ties. She announced her breakup as soon as the news about his then-boyfriend’s embezzlement hit the wire, citing “I had no idea he was that kind of person” as the reason for their split.
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Park Min Young, at that time, vehemently denied receiving financial support, including money, cars, and luxury goods, from Kang. She stated, “I have never received monetary support. My sister has also resigned as an outside director from INBIOGEN,” revealing her official stance.
However, Dispatch revealed that Park Min Young had received 250 million KRW (approx. 210,000 USD) from Kang Jong Hyun during their relationship. Prosecution documents indicated a three-step process of transferring the funds: from Kang’s affiliate to the company’s CEO as a loan, and then to Park’s personal account.
According to the evidence list item 100, “A sum of 250 million KRW, held for business purposes, was transferred to CEO’s Shinhan Bank account as a loan, and then to Park Min Young’s Woori Bank account, where it was arbitrarily used for living expenses.” Kang allegedly withdrew company funds under the guise of a loan to provide Park with “living expenses,” a stark contrast to Park’s claim of not receiving financial support.
The prosecution indicted Kang last year, stating, “He diverted company funds to acquire stocks, private loans, and cryptocurrencies. He planned to use the company funds for personal purposes, including luxury purchases.” He is known to have embezzled over 60 billion KRW (approx. 50.5 million USD). If any part of this was used for Park Min Young, it could lead to moral condemnation.
Park Min Young herself faced prosecution inquiries last February for her involvement in Kang Jong Hyun’s convertible bond transactions, which showed signs of proxy trading. Although Hook Entertainment claimed she was merely a reference person, suspicions of illicit benefits remain unresolved.
Kang Jong Hyun was released on bail on December 12th last year, after being detained for 10 months on charges of violating the Capital Market Law. The bail was set at 300 million KRW (approx. 252,000 USD), with restrictions on his residence and a requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Dispatch waited 10 months to ask Kang about the financial gifts and their sources provided to Park Min Young, particularly the 250 million KRW diverted to her bank account. But he’s evaded answers, remaining silent despite repeated contacts. Park’s agency has also been delaying responses for three weeks; even after a questionnaire was sent to Hook Entertainment on December 26th, no reply has been received.
Meanwhile, Park Min Young returned to the small screen on 1st with tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday drama Marry My Husband. She promised to stay committed to her primary profession, stating, “I regretted it so much that only the guilt showed up in red during a brainwave test.” The drama is the work of a company associated with Chorokbaem Media. The actual owner of Chorokbaem Media is the “corporate hunter” Won Young Shik, who was detained on charges of disrupting the capital market. They have also fully acquired Park’s agency Hook Entertainment, led by Kwon Jin Young.
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