On Sept. 13, 2026, this outlet published an article titled "[Exclusive] Yakson Myeongga CEO's gapjil allegations not trial-worthy… Court rejects fiscal petition, complainants file re-appeal [World&]," reporting that a court had upheld prosecutors' decision not to indict the former CEO of Yakson Myeongga over the so-called gapjil allegations, and that the complainants had filed a re-appeal.
In response, a Yakson Myeongga franchisee, the representative of the Yakson Myeongga Franchisee Association, and the association itself have submitted the following statement.
The non-indictment by prosecutors and the Seoul High Court's rejection of the petition cited in the article concerned a specific case: whether demands made around 2019 for franchisees to sign consent forms related to increases in incubating consulting fees and education costs constituted coercion under the Criminal Act, they said.
They further stated that the gapjil allegations raised by franchisees against the former CEO are not limited to that incident from May and June 2019, and that the former CEO repeatedly and persistently engaged in stalking behavior against many center directors against their will, exploiting a position of superior authority.
As a result, 10 center directors have filed complaints against the former CEO for violations of the Stalking Punishment Act, and an investigation is underway, they said.
They said it is inaccurate to report — on the grounds that prosecutors declined to indict on coercion charges and the Seoul High Court rejected the petition — as though the entirety of the gapjil allegations raised by franchisees against the former CEO had been found unworthy of trial.
bell@heraldcorp.com
