Lee Seung Gi faces uncertainty over the return of his 10.5 billion won ($7.4 million) security deposit as his jeonse lease expires this month. The concern comes after the arrest of the villa’s owner, Cha Ga Won, chairman of One Hundred.
Cha was taken into custody on August 3rd after a court issued an arrest warrant on fraud charges under South Korea’s Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
Lee Seung Gi had rented the luxury villa owned by Cha with a 10.5 billion won ($7.4 million) deposit. The arrangement was based on South Korea’s unique jeonse rental system, in which tenants pay a large upfront deposit instead of monthly rent and receive the full amount back when the lease ends. With the contract set to expire this month, concerns are growing over whether Lee will be able to recover his deposit.
Lee has raised concerns that he may have been the victim of a real estate scam, with industry experts claiming the property was leased at a price significantly above its market value. Of the total deposit, approximately 7.3 billion won ($5.1 million) was reportedly borrowed money, meaning Lee could become personally responsible for repaying the loan if he fails to recover the deposit.
Although legal options such as filing a lawsuit for the return of the deposit, pursuing forced collection, or requesting a court auction are available, these procedures can take a significant amount of time, and full recovery of the funds is not guaranteed.
Earlier this year, reports revealed that the villa where Lee lives had been seized by South Korea’s National Tax Service due to Cha’s unpaid taxes.
Meanwhile, controversy surrounding Cha Ga Won has continued to grow after an alleged voice recording surfaced in which she claimed she paid more than 40 billion won ($28 million) to cover MC Mong’s gambling-related debts after allegedly being pressured with threats involving EXO member Baekhyun.
On August 4th, former entertainment reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin Ho released a recording discussing financial disputes involving Cha, MC Mong, and EXO member Baekhyun.
The recording reportedly features a conversation between Cha and an acquaintance. In the audio, Cha allegedly said, “People say MC Mong took 12 billion won ($8.4 million) from me, but it was more. I lost around 40 billion won ($28 million) because of him.”
The claim has drawn attention because the amount is significantly higher than previously reported figures.
Cha also allegedly claimed that MC Mong had significant gambling-related debts and pressured both her and Baekhyun, saying, “If this comes out, you’re both finished. Cha Ga Won, take care of this.”
She claimed that she paid off MC Mong’s alleged gambling debts because she wanted to protect Baekhyun, stating, “Baekhyun couldn’t be ruined, so I paid it off. It was 20 billion won ($14 million).” She added that Baekhyun later expressed that he no longer wanted to be involved with MC Mong and asked Cha to endure the situation one more time.
However, Lee Jin Ho noted that Cha’s claims have not been independently verified and should not be accepted as fact without additional evidence.
Following the breakdown of their relationship, further allegations emerged that Cha’s side spent nearly 100 million won ($70,000) on an outside agency to launch a so-called “counter-viral” campaign targeting MC Mong. Lee Jin Ho claimed that Cha instructed the agency to create negative online sentiment against MC Mong and released additional recordings allegedly discussing posting schedules, search keywords, and distribution channels.
Lee Jin Ho concluded that MC Mong’s alleged overseas gambling issues and his conflict with Cha Ga Won have ultimately affected not only the individuals involved but also affiliated artists and business partners.
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