Rapper Yang Hong-won denies affair 5 days after wedding, admits motel visit with woman

Rapper Yang Hong-won has become embroiled in allegations of infidelity just five days after his wedding, with his agency acknowledging that he went to a motel with another woman but denying that any romantic or sexual contact took place.

Yang’s agency, AP Alchemy, issued a statement on its official social media account Friday, saying the allegations made by an individual identified only as “A” were false and that the materials presented as evidence had been “maliciously edited.”

The agency said the statement was released after discussions with both Yang and the woman involved.

Earlier Friday, A, who claimed to be an acquaintance of Yang, alleged through social media posts and a livestream that the rapper had visited a motel with another woman. A also released photos of the woman and records of phone calls.

AP Alchemy denied the allegations and accused A of attempting to extort money from Yang and the woman.

“A threatened our artist and the woman in an attempt to extort money, and when that failed, made accusations based on false information,” the agency said.

According to the agency, Yang and the woman have each filed criminal complaints against A. The complaints include allegations of extortion, violations of South Korea’s anti-stalking law and defamation through false information.

The agency also provided its account of how Yang and the woman ended up at the motel.

It said Yang had been in contact with A, whom he had met by chance, and went to A’s home for drinks after a performance. While they were drinking, A allegedly told Yang and the woman to leave the home and instructed them to go to a specific motel.

The agency said the two had little choice but to leave and went to the motel together.

According to its account, Yang fell asleep immediately after entering the room. Later, the woman tried to wake him but felt uncomfortable making physical contact with him, so she asked A for help. The woman then returned home with A, the agency said.

AP Alchemy further alleged that A later encountered financial difficulties and used the fact that Yang and the woman had been together to demand money, editing previous conversations to support false claims.

The agency said that after Yang and the woman reported the matter to police, A pieced together conversations and call records and made the allegations public.

“Yang Hong-won and the woman acknowledge that they went to the motel together under unavoidable circumstances,” the agency said. “However, they barely spoke even while drinking, and there was absolutely no romantic or intimate behavior inside the room. They also did not pay any money in response to A’s demands.”

The agency said it has also received information from an acquaintance that it says supports its claim that A’s allegations were deliberately fabricated.

It said it plans to take “strict legal action” against people who write posts or comments spreading what it considers false information.

The controversy erupted less than a week after Yang married former model Won Hyun-joo on Oct. 18.

The couple had been in a long-term relationship and welcomed a daughter in November 2024. They held their formal wedding ceremony about two years after becoming parents and have shared glimpses of their parenting life and wedding preparations through a YouTube channel.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.