Hwang Hee-chan cleared of gapjil allegations over VIP car service

Police have cleared South Korean national team footballer Hwang Hee-chan, 30, of gapjil allegations involving a VIP vehicle service company, though the case has been forwarded to prosecutors after the complainant challenged the outcome.

According to Hwang's agency and police Tuesday, the Seoul Songpa Police Station decided last month not to refer two agency employees to prosecutors, finding insufficient evidence to support charges of fraud, joint intimidation, obstruction of business, defamation and insult filed against them.

However, Bahana — the VIP vehicle service company that filed the complaint — submitted an objection, triggering an automatic transfer of the case to prosecutors.

The dispute surfaced in February when Bahana publicly accused Hwang of gapjil and filed a complaint against him.

According to Bahana, the two sides signed a deal in 2024 under which the company would lend vehicles to Hwang in exchange for promotional activities on his social media accounts. Bahana alleged that Hwang received 22 supercars worth hundreds of millions of won under the arrangement but repeatedly caused accidents requiring costly repairs, at one point abandoning a vehicle on Han River Bridge late at night, while failing to fulfill his promotional obligations.

Hwang's side rebuffed the claims at the time, saying Bahana was "spreading false information out of resentment over the contract falling through."

Hwang's agency issued a press release Tuesday welcoming the police finding, saying it had been "clearly established that this was a legitimate bilateral contract in which Hwang waived his modeling fee in consideration of the other party's financial situation in exchange for VIP vehicle services."

The agency added that Hwang "will do his utmost to focus on his duties as a member of the South Korean national football team and repay fans with strong performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup."