On the 29th, Lee Seung-gi shared through his agency, Big Planet Made, "I apologize for delivering this message with a heavy heart," addressing the past stock manipulation case involving his father-in-law, Mr. Lee.
Mr. Lee, Lee Seung-gi's father-in-law who is remarried to actress Gyeon Mi-ri, has been indicted for artificially inflating the stock price of a KOSDAQ-listed company, Company A, where he served as a director from 2014 to February 2016, and then selling the shares obtained through capital increases for profit. The Supreme Court overturned the lower court's acquittal, which had found Mr. Lee and three others not guilty of violating the Capital Markets Act, and referred the case back to the Seoul High Court last June.
Since his debut, Lee Seung-gi has had a strong "perfect son-in-law" image and married actress Lee Da-in, daughter of actress Gyeon Mi-ri, in April 2023. During their dating period, there was no significant negative public opinion, but after the marriage announcement, Lee Seung-gi suffered from issues related to his father-in-law's past involvement in stock manipulation.
Nevertheless, Lee Seung-gi had been supporting his in-laws. In April 2023, he commented on social media regarding the stock manipulation allegations against his father-in-law, saying, "Did he embezzle 26 billion won through stock manipulation and create 300,000 victims? This is clearly a false report. I don't know where some reporters and YouTubers gathered their information, but there is no basis for such claims," revealing the facts that were corrected by the media.
However, just 14 months after the marriage, the Supreme Court issued a ruling indicating guilt in the appeal, and it is believed that Gyeon Mi-ri is also involved, causing a ripple effect. In response, Lee Seung-gi's side stated, "As an artist celebrating his 20th debut anniversary, we sincerely request that you refrain from touching on family matters for Lee Seung-gi, who is struggling to get closer to his fans. This matter is something that happened before Lee Seung-gi got married, and it is a problem for the family to resolve."
After the allegations of stock manipulation against his father-in-law, Lee Seung-gi appeared in public. At the production briefing for the movie "Big Family," when asked about this issue, he said, "It seems that some of my past comments have caused misunderstandings that there is 'no wrongdoing in the family.' What I have consistently said is that the matters concerning my in-laws are theirs, and I have established an independent household with my parents and my wife after getting married." He added, "I don't think it is appropriate for me to make additional comments on this matter. If I have caused misunderstandings, I believe I should act more cautiously," indicating a change in his previous stance.
Lee Seung-gi, who had been supporting his in-laws, is now indicating a break from them. On the 29th, he said, "While there have been legal issues frequently raised against my father-in-law which resulted in a fine in the appeal, it has come to a point where I am once again being indicted by investigative agencies due to similar violations. I cannot suppress my dismay over my father-in-law's dishonest actions as someone who has waited for results based on family trust. I deeply reflect on my hasty remarks regarding matters related to my father-in-law that I did not thoroughly examine last year. I believe that proper punishment must be imposed for unlawful actions, and I sincerely apologize for the pain caused to the victims who suffered due to my rash judgment. I also express my sincere regret to everyone who believed and understood me."
In particular, Lee Seung-gi said, "As a result of this incident, the trust within the family has been damaged to a level that is difficult to restore, and my wife and I have decided to sever ties with my in-laws after long consideration. Moving forward, I will live with a commitment to uphold the right values and fulfill my responsibilities for a healthy society. I apologize once again for causing concern and disappointment due to personal matters."
Since his debut, Lee Seung-gi has had a strong "perfect son-in-law" image and married actress Lee Da-in, daughter of actress Gyeon Mi-ri, in April 2023. During their dating period, there was no significant negative public opinion, but after the marriage announcement, Lee Seung-gi suffered from issues related to his father-in-law's past involvement in stock manipulation. Nevertheless, after a three-step mental change, Lee Seung-gi chose to sever ties with his in-laws, reflecting on his past recklessness and delivering an apology. Attention is drawn to whether Lee Seung-gi can restore his tarnished image through this apology and severance from his in-laws.
데뷔 당시부터 '엄친아' 이미지가 강했던 이승기는 2023년 4월 배우 견미리의 딸이자 배우 이다인과 결혼했다. 열애 당시에는 크게 부정적인 여론이 형성되진 않았으나 결혼을 발표한 이후부터 장인 이 씨의 과거 주가조작 사건 연루 등 처가 이슈로 몸살을 앓았다. 그럼에도 처가를 비호해왔던 이승기는 3단 심경 변화 끝에 처가와 단절을 선택, 그동안의 경솔했던 자신을 반성하며 사과를 전했다. 이승기가 이번 사과와 처가 인연 단절을 통해 실추됐던 이미지를 회복할 수 있을지 주목된다.
[OSEN]