Singer-actor Kim Min-jong said he will take legal action over various suspicions and rumors that erupted after MC MONG's live broadcast, calling them "clearly false information."
Law firm Okims, representing Kim Min-jong, issued a statement on the 19th saying, "Groundless rumors about Kim Min-jong's private life and malicious suspicions are spreading indiscriminately across online communities and social media," adding, "Everything currently being mentioned is clearly false information."
It added, "Sensational and malicious, defamatory content is spreading without verifying the facts or guaranteeing a right of reply," and argued, "Kim Min-jong, his family, and fans are suffering severe psychological distress and social harm."
Kim Min-jong's side also signaled a hard-line civil and criminal response. The legal representative said, "Kim Min-jong intends to respond head-on without any compromise," adding, "After verifying the facts about the disputed claims, we will pursue the necessary legal liability."
The firm added, "We are also reviewing all possible measures, including claims for damages, against outlets that infringed on personality rights by reporting unverified content as if it were fact."
Kim Min-jong also released a statement he wrote himself through his legal representative.
Kim said, "My heart is heavy that my name has been mentioned amid various stories recently, causing worry and confusion to many," but added, "What is currently being raised is not true."
He continued, "After sufficiently verifying the facts, we will pursue civil and criminal liability where necessary," and said, "I will act prudently so as not to disappoint those who have trusted and supported me for a long time."
The controversy began when MC MONG, during a live social media broadcast on the 18th, raised suspicions of an illegal gambling ring and named specific individuals. At the time, MC MONG referred to the figure behind a gambling group where tens of billions of won in stakes circulated and to figures in the entertainment industry, and in the process mentioned Kim Min-jong by his real name, intensifying the fallout.