Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi has emerged as a face of the Buddhist community. In celebration of Buddha's birthday, he received the honor of the '2025 Buddhist Award.'
On the 5th, Lee Seung-gi was awarded the Buddhist Award at the 'Buddha's Birthday Celebration Ceremony for the Year 2569' held at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, receiving a plaque of appreciation from Venerable Jinwoo, the Secretary General of the Jogye Order. The Buddhist Award is given to exemplary Buddhists who elevate the status of Korean Buddhism by practicing the teachings of Buddha.
The organizers noted, "Lee Seung-gi has actively promoted Buddhism to the public, serving as the host for the 2024 International Meditation Conference National Music Festival, and he even shaved his head for his role as a monk in the film 'Large Family,' drawing public empathy for Buddhist sentiments. Furthermore, he contributed 100 million won to the Jogye Order's architectural project 'Building for a Thousand Years,' participating in the promotion of Buddhism."
In fact, Lee Seung-gi, who was originally a Christian, converted to Buddhism under the influence of his wife, Lee Da-in. It is known that Lee Da-in, her mother, Gyeon Mi-ri, and sister-in-law, Lee Da-in, are devout Buddhists. Gyeon Mi-ri added meaning to the situation by gifting prayer beads made by the family after Lee Seung-gi's conversion.
In particular, he shaved his head for his role as a monk in the film 'Large Family' and had his wedding with Lee Da-in while wearing a wig. However, Lee Seung-gi is currently in a situation where he has expressed a desire to cut ties with his in-laws.
According to the legal community on the 29th of last month, the South Seoul Prosecutors' Office's Joint Investigation Team on Financial Crimes (Director General Ahn Chang-joo) has obtained an arrest warrant from the court for Lee's father-in-law, Mr. Lee, who is under investigation for violating the Capital Markets Act.
It is reported that prosecutors captured evidence of Mr. Lee's involvement in stock manipulation while investigating the QUANTAPIA stock manipulation case, which was filed by the Securities and Futures Commission. Earlier, the prosecutors indicted a group of nine people for allegedly inflating stock prices while promoting QUANTAPIA's quantum image sensor business and acquiring an unjust profit of over 20 billion won. They are suspected of manipulating stock prices by leaking insider information related to the mergers and acquisitions of QUANTAPIA and Jungang DM to artificially inflate the stock prices.
In addition to being implicated in the QUANTAPIA stock manipulation case, Mr. Lee has also been indicted for allegedly running a KOSDAQ-listed company from November 2014 to February 2016, artificially inflating stock prices and then selling shares obtained through a capital increase for a profit of approximately 2.37 billion won.
In relation to this, the first trial court recognized that they were involved in illegal false disclosures and sentenced Mr. Lee to four years in prison and a fine of 2.5 billion won. Joint operator Mr. B received a sentence of three years in prison and a fine of 1.2 billion won. However, the appeals court ruled that the disclosure regarding the funding sources for stock and convertible bond acquisitions by Mr. B and others could not be considered as an 'important matter' under the Capital Markets Act, leading to a not guilty verdict.
However, the Supreme Court overturned this. The Supreme Court found errors in the second trial's judgment and decided to remand the case in June of last year. Yet, once again, allegations have emerged, and the court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Lee, citing a concern for destroying evidence.
As a result, Lee Seung-gi has lowered his head. He issued an official statement saying, "There were previously raised legal issues concerning my father-in-law that resulted in a fine in the remand trial; however, I have reached a stage where I am being prosecuted by investigative agencies once again due to similar illegal acts. Having waited for the results based on our familial trust, I cannot contain my feelings of devastation regarding my father-in-law's misconduct."
Repeatedly appealing, "Please do not touch my family," Lee Seung-gi responded to a question regarding his in-laws during a production briefing for his film 'Large Family' last November, saying, "My in-laws' matters are their matter. Since my marriage, my wife has become independent from her family, and now we have formed an independent household. Moving forward, I will act cautiously to prevent any misunderstandings."
However, as his father-in-law was once again arrested and indicted, he stated, "I deeply reflect on the fact that I spoke hastily about matters concerning my father-in-law without thoroughly reviewing them. I believe that those who have committed illegal acts must face appropriate punishment, and I sincerely apologize for the suffering of the victims who have been affected by my rash judgment. I also feel remorse toward everyone who believed in and understood me."
In particular, Lee Seung-gi said, "This incident has severely damaged the trust between family members, and my wife and I, after long deliberation, wish to sever ties with my in-laws. From now on, I will embrace correct values and live with a commitment to fulfilling my responsibilities for a healthy society. I sincerely apologize once again for causing concern and disappointment due to personal matters."
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