| Singer Psy has denied any involvement in the recent scandal surrounding Yang hyun-suk, the head of his former agency, YG Entertainment. / Courtesy of YG Entertainment |
By Kim Jae-heun
Singer Psy has denied any involvement in the recent scandal surrounding Yang hyun-suk, the head of his former agency, YG Entertainment. Yang who is alleged to have procured prostitutes for two foreign investors from Southeast Asia in 2014, claimed Psy introduced one of the two men to him.
The man is Malaysian fugitive financier, Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, an acquaintance of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. He is currently on Interpol's red list and is wanted by the authorities in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly pocketing billions of dollars from a state-run development company.
Via social media, Wednesday, Psy admitted that Jho Low was his friend.
“I met him when I was performing overseas and he was active in Hollywood. I introduced him to Yang. Whether he is a good man or not, it is a fact that he was a friend of mine,” he wrote.
“When he and his acquaintances came to Korea, Yang and I attended a dinner at their invitation. We only ate and drank at the dinner and Yang and I left afterwards,” Psy added. “At the time I thought it was only a gathering with friends from a faraway country. I'm sorry for causing stir with this case.”
Yang, too, denied he had procured sexual services for the two wealthy businessmen, claiming only to have attended the dinner with Psy.
On Monday, MBC's investigative TV program “Straight” reported Yang had arranged a dinner party for Low and another investor from Thailand, known as Bob, attended by 25 women including 10 prostitutes, and offered escort services to them at the nightclub NB, which Yang is the de facto owner of.
Low also denied the allegations raised by the TV show through a statement released by his attorney in the U.S.
“Mr. Low is a friend of Psy, and through him met Yang Hyun-suk. He was never involved in, nor aware of, any conduct of the kind alleged in the MBC Straight report,” the statement read.