Singer and actor Lee Seung Gi has ultimately failed to receive his jeonse deposit back after his lease expired. Under South Korea’s jeonse system, tenants pay a large upfront deposit instead of monthly rent and are supposed to receive the full amount back when the lease ends.
His legal representatives announced on August 6th that they are considering legal action against Cha Ga Won’s side over the unpaid deposit.
Lee Seung Gi’s attorneys, Yoon Yong Seok and Jang Jae Won, stated that the lease agreement for the Hannam-dong villa in Seoul had officially ended, but the deposit had still not been returned.
Cha Ga Won’s legal team had previously told the court that “the jeonse deposit would be returned without issue.” However, Lee Seung Gi’s representatives later claimed that Cha Ga Won’s spouse ultimately stated that the deposit could not be returned because Cha Ga Won is currently unavailable.
Lee Seung Gi’s representatives questioned the response as Cha Ga Won’s spouse had been involved in many of Cha Ga Won’s legal affairs. They also stated that Lee Seung Gi suffered additional financial losses as he had already prepared to move out.
The actor’s legal team has also raised suspicions of a possible real estate fraud scheme involving the couple. They claimed that Cha Ga Won and her spouse used a celebrity’s name to secure large loans and enter into jeonse contracts before failing to return the deposits.
Lee Seung Gi signed a jeonse contract in 2024 for a luxury villa in Hannam-dong owned by Cha Ga Won and her spouse. The deposit was reportedly 10.5 billion won ($7.4 million), with about 7.3 billion won (approximately $5.1 million) said to have been financed through a bank loan.
Meanwhile, Cha Ga Won was arrested on August 3rd on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The court approved the arrest warrant due to concerns over potential evidence tampering.
Cha Ga Won is accused of promoting business ventures using the intellectual property of artists under her label, One Hundred, and signing an agreement with content company Nomus. Prosecutors allege that she received an advance payment of 24.2 billion won ($17 million) but failed to fulfill the promised business obligations.
>> Lee Seung Gi’s $7 Million Housing Deposit in Jeopardy; Baekhyun Mentioned in Explosive Recording
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