MC Mong apologizes to Kim Min-jong over gambling allegations: 'Mentioning him was my mistake'

Singer MC Mong has publicly apologized to singer-actor Kim Min-jong, four months after raising allegations that Kim was involved in illegal gambling. Kim had denied the allegations and filed a complaint against MC Mong with police on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

According to Yonhap, MC Mong said during a live broadcast Sunday that he had met Kim in person Saturday to apologize. Kim accepted the apology and said he had "warmly embraced" MC Mong.

"My sunbae Kim Min-jong and I resolved the misunderstanding about the gambling matter on Saturday, and he warmly embraced me," MC Mong said. "I again apologize for causing a misunderstanding about Min-jong. Mentioning sunbae Kim Min-jong in the first place was my mistake."

Kim accepted the apology, his representatives said. They said Kim "did not push away the belated apology of a junior who bowed his head first after realizing his wrongdoing, but accepted it with an open heart," adding that although MC Mong had targeted him and caused serious financial and emotional harm, Kim "extended his hand first and warmly embraced" the younger artist when he came forward to acknowledge his mistake.

Meanwhile, Kim's side had filed a complaint against MC Mong at the Jongno Police Station in Seoul on Tuesday on charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. Shortly after news of the complaint broke, MC Mong dismissed it, saying, "It's not like this is the first or second time I've been sued — it's no big deal."