Kim Min-jong drops lawsuit against MC Mong, says he accepted apology

Singer-actor Kim Min-jong has dropped his lawsuit against singer MC Mong, who had caused controversy by suggesting Kim was linked to illegal gambling. Kim's side said that while he did suffer damage, they decided not to pursue the legal dispute further in consideration of MC Mong's admission of wrongdoing and apology.

Oh Sung-heon, an attorney with law firm O-Kims representing Kim Min-jong, said Thursday that Kim filed a complaint against MC Mong on Sept. 1 with Seoul's Jongno Police Station. The complaint accused MC Mong of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. Kim withdrew it Wednesday.

"I thought it was necessary to give another chance to someone who admitted wrongdoing and apologized," Kim said. "It is true that I suffered wounds and damage over the past four months that are hard to heal, but I did not want to turn away from a junior colleague who reflected on his actions and asked for forgiveness."

He went on to say, "I thought embracing a person was a more meaningful choice than pursuing legal action."

However, Kim added that "withdrawing this lawsuit does not mean reversing the damage I have suffered or my previous position." He explained, "Considering that the other party admitted wrongdoing and apologized, I decided not to continue the legal dispute any further."

Earlier, in May, MC Mong held a live broadcast on social media in which he claimed an illegal gambling group exists in the entertainment industry. He also made remarks suggesting Kim Min-jong was connected to it.

In response, Kim's side said at the time, "Baseless claims have damaged the reputation I built over 38 years, and I have suffered real losses, including the suspension of a project I was in talks to appear in and advertising deals that were halted." They added, "I will take legal action as a matter of principle, including filing a civil claim for damages."

Ultimately, MC Mong said in a live broadcast Saturday, "Mentioning Kim Min-jong at all was a mistake." He added, "We met in person and talked, and we resolved the misunderstanding. I will accept whatever comes out in the press about this going forward."

According to Kim's side, the two had a candid conversation, and MC Mong reportedly admitted he had criticized Kim emotionally without properly verifying the facts, and asked for forgiveness.