K-pop singer Kang Daniel has filed a police report against the majority shareholder of his agency, Konnect Entertainment.
On May 20, KoreaJoongAngDaily reported that Kang had filed a police report against the majority shareholder of his agency Konnect Entertainment for allegedly forging his signature to sign a ₩10billion deal (roughly £5,770,720).
While Kang is the company’s founder and CEO, the shareholder in question – who was left unnamed – owns 70 per cent of Konnect Entertainment’s shares. Kang’s criminal complaint against the shareholder includes charges of forgery, embezzlement, breach of trust and more.
According to the news outlet, the shareholder had reportedly forged Kang’s signature to sign a music distribution deal worth ₩10billion in December 2022. The singer found out about the alleged forgery the following month, and did not receive an explanation from the shareholder despite making “numerous requests” for answers.
Additionally, Kang’s attorney alleges that the shareholder had sent over ₩2billion to overseas bank accounts without approval from Kang or the agency’s other board members.
NME has reached out to Kang Daniel’s management for comment.
“My client tried his best to minimize the damage during the last year, taking into account everyone at the company he had been working with as CEO and as an artist over the last five years,” said Kang’s attorney per KoreaJoongAngDaily. “It was with the heaviest heart that he went ahead with the police report, as there remained no other choice or solution.”
Additionally, Maeil Kyeongje reported that all of Konnect Entertainment’s artists excluding Kang have left the agency. They include former GFRIEND singer Yuju, Korean-American singer-songwriter Chancellor and dance crew WE DEM BOYZ. Kang’s artist contract with the agency will reportedly expire in June 2024.