Singer Lee Seung-gi (이승기) is currently involved in a high-stakes dispute over a ₩10.5 billion (approximately US$7.6 million) rental deposit with Cha Ga-won (차가원), CEO of entertainment agency One Hundred Label. The controversy intensified following the release of a past phone call recording by YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, in which Cha Ga-won is heard making extreme statements, including threats that "everyone around Lee Seung-gi will die," causing public shock.
On July 7, Lee Jin-ho released the recording on his YouTube channel, stating that Lee Seung-gi signed a ₩10.5 billion rental contract with Cha Ga-won's side on August 6, 2024. Of this amount, ₩3.2 billion came from Lee Seung-gi's personal funds, with the remaining ₩7.3 billion secured through a bank loan. The contract was originally set to expire on August 6 of this year, and Lee Seung-gi's team had already prepared to move out.
According to Lee Jin-ho, Cha Ga-won's legal representative had contacted Lee Seung-gi in advance to confirm moving arrangements, promising to return the deposit on August 6 as scheduled. They also pledged to compensate for any additional moving expenses incurred due to delays. However, on the day of the move, Lee Seung-gi's team repeatedly tried to contact Park, Cha Ga-won's husband and co-owner, without success. Later, they received a notification stating, "Due to Cha Ga-won's absence, the rental deposit cannot be returned today."
Lee Seung-gi's side then demanded a clear repayment timeline, indicating that if the deposit continued to be withheld, they would consider filing a lawsuit for suspected rental fraud. Approximately an hour later, the other party replied that they would try to arrange the repayment and notify them once a date was confirmed. Ultimately, Lee Seung-gi was unable to move that day, and the moving company personnel who had already arrived were left waiting on site.
Further complicating matters, ₩7.3 billion of the ₩10.5 billion deposit came from a bank loan. To prevent the loan issue from escalating, Lee Seung-gi reportedly expressed his intention to repay the bank, initially settling about 10% of the loan, with the remaining amount granted an extension of approximately one month.
As the deposit dispute continues to unfold, Lee Jin-ho also released Cha Ga-won's past phone conversation. In the recording, Cha Ga-won sounds highly agitated, even stating, "I can really ruin Lee Seung-gi and Taemin completely, but what would I gain from doing that?" She further claimed that the information currently exposed is just "a little bit," and if she continues to reveal more, everyone around Lee Seung-gi "will really die."
Cha Ga-won also mentioned that her past silence was to "ultimately save these artists," but when discussing Lee Seung-gi, she directly stated, "I've already given up on him," emphasizing that she has more content she could reveal. At the end of the call, she repeatedly insisted that Lee Jin-ho must clearly state, "This is not rental fraud."
Lee Seung-gi's side believes the incident is likely more than just a simple "unreturned deposit." They argue that an investigation should determine whether Cha Ga-won genuinely intended and was capable of returning the deposit at the time of signing the contract. Lawyers even suspect it might involve a fraudulent scheme using high-value loans and rental agreements. However, Cha Ga-won's side has consistently denied the rental fraud allegations, leading to a clear conflict between the two parties' statements. Meanwhile, Cha Ga-won is currently detained on suspicion of a ₩30 billion fraud case, with the court issuing an arrest warrant citing concerns about evidence tampering. The ongoing developments in this case remain under close public scrutiny.
