Lee Seung-gi refuses to vacate villa amid W10.5b jeonse dispute

Singer and actor Lee Seung-gi is refusing to leave his villa in Hannam-dong, Seoul, amid a dispute over a jeonse, or long-term lease deposit, of 10.5 billion won ($7.37 million).

Yoon Yong-seok, an attorney at law firm Hyeonmyeong representing Lee, said Thursday that Lee's jeonse contract for his current residence expired that day but that he had not received the deposit back from Chairman Cha Ga-won.

"He will continue to occupy the property without moving out. There is absolutely no legal problem with this," Yoon said, adding that the legal team also plans to file a criminal complaint in connection with the matter.

Lee signed a jeonse contract in 2024 for a villa in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, owned by Cha and his wife, with a deposit of 10.5 billion won.

Lee's side has claimed that Cha demanded a deposit higher than the market price, while Cha's side has countered that the jeonse contract was concluded in lieu of an exclusive management contract fee.

The dispute entered a new phase after Cha was detained Monday on fraud charges involving 30 billion won, and the deposit went unreturned by the contract's expiration date.

Lee's legal representative said Thursday that the failure to return the deposit "is not a simple civil breach of contract but falls within the realm of criminal conduct." The representative alleged that a "sophisticated fraud scheme was strategically employed" — one in which a prominent celebrity was induced to take out a large loan, enter into a high-value jeonse contract, and then have the deposit misappropriated.