The popular face of Kpop Kang Daniel has filed a criminal complaint against the major shareholder of KONNECT Entertainment. Kang Daniel rose to fame from his WannaOne days. The idol has been admired by fans all over the world for his breathtaking vocals and acting too. However, a controversy around him is circulating nowadays.
On the afternoon of May 20th, his legal representative, the law firm Wooree, announced the charges, which included forgery of private documents, embezzlement, breach of trust, and fraud in the use of computers, among others.
Kang Daniel has been both the CEO and an artist under KONNECT Entertainment for the past five years. In a statement, his legal team emphasized his dedication to protecting the company and minimizing harm to its artists, employees, and partners. Despite his efforts to resolve issues internally, Kang Daniel decided to pursue legal action to hold the responsible party accountable.
The charges are serious and wide-ranging. The forgery charge stems from a prepayment distribution contract worth around 10 billion won, signed without Kang’s knowledge in December 2022, using his name and the corporate seal illegally. When Kang discovered this in January 2023, he found no answers to his inquiries about the contract, forcing him to obtain bank transaction records himself.
Regarding embezzlement, it was revealed that at least 2 billion won had been improperly withdrawn from the company’s account through foreign remittances and business income processes without proper authorization. The breach of trust charge involves tens of millions of won being misappropriated via an anonymous corporate card and falsely recorded as expenses for Kang’s props.
Additionally, Kang Daniel’s investigation into the company’s finances uncovered that over 1.7 billion won had been taken from his personal bank account without his consent. His legal team has expressed gratitude for the public’s concern and assured that more information will be shared as the investigation progresses.
Meanwhile, the accused major shareholder, who owns about 70% of KONNECT’s shares, faces significant scrutiny. As Kang Daniel’s exclusive contract with KONNECT is set to expire early next month, it appears likely that he will part ways with the agency once the contract concludes.
This case highlights the challenges artists face and underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in the entertainment industry.
