Cha Ga-won seeks court order to block 'PD Notebook' broadcast over unpaid settlements, gambling allegations

Cha Ga-won, chairman of entertainment agency One Hundred Label, has filed an injunction request with a court to block an upcoming MBC "PD Notebook" broadcast set to cover the company's alleged failure to pay artists their settlements and gambling allegations against singer MC Mong.

Cha filed the injunction against MBC at Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday, seeking to prohibit the use of his likeness, according to legal sources. A hearing began Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.

"PD Notebook" was scheduled to air an episode titled "MC Mong and the Chairman's K-pop Trade Secrets" at 10 p.m. Tuesday. The injunction sought to prevent that broadcast.

One Hundred Label was founded in 2023 by Cha and MC Mong. In just over two years, the company shook the entertainment industry by signing exclusive contracts with SHINee's Taemin, EXO's Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin, Lee Seung-gi and Lee Mu-jin, among others. Recently, however, artists including Lee Seung-gi, Lee Mu-jin, ChenBaekXi, BIBI G and The Boyz notified the company of contract terminations, claiming they had not received their settlement payments. When unpaid wages owed to staff and partner companies are included, total damages are estimated to exceed 10 billion won ($6.62 million).

"PD Notebook" planned to report that One Hundred Label received more than 100 billion won in advance investment from music distributors and concert promoters, with the funds believed to have been funneled into Cha's personal bank account. The program also said it had received a tip that some of that money was passed to MC Mong and used to fund overseas gambling trips.

Cha's legal team argued that the footage was recorded without his consent and had been maliciously edited, citing "serious infringement of portrait and voice rights" and "severe defamation through malicious distortion" as grounds for the injunction.

In the filing, Cha's side demanded that MBC be barred from broadcasting, screening, posting or distributing any follow-up content similar in nature to the episode in question, and from using his likeness, voice or name in broadcast programs or press photos without consent. The filing also sought a penalty of 10 million won per violation.

MC Mong denied the allegations in a TikTok livestream on May 18, saying, "Using company money for illegal gambling? What kind of nonsense is that — go ahead and look through all my accounts."

One Hundred Label, the entertainment agency founded by MC Mong and Cha Ga-won, faces growing scrutiny over allegations of embezzlement. Artists including Lee Seung-gi and Lee Mu-jin have come forward claiming they did not receive billions of won in settlement payments, with questions mounting over whether the funds were used to finance MC Mong's gambling.

https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10761128

이승기·이무진이 못받은 정산금 수십억. MC몽 도박자금으로 쓰였나…의혹 일파만파

https://biz.heraldcorp.com/article/10761128