Singer and producer MC Mong (left), and Cha Gawon, founder of One Hundred and chairman of PIAQ. Photo Sports Kyunghyang DB

One Hundred, founded by Chairman Cha Gawon and MC Mong, and MBC ‘PD Notebook’, which is attempting to expose alleged misconduct at One Hundred. The first episode, viewed by both sides as a major hurdle, has aired. ‘PD Notebook’ has made its initial allegations, and Chairman Cha and MC Mong now appear to be responding.

On its broadcast on the 2nd, ‘PD Notebook’, with the subheading ‘MC Mong and the Chairman's K-pop Trade Secrets’, raised allegations including a wave of departures by artists under One Hundred, an alleged affair involving MC Mong and Chairman Cha, illegal gambling, and the private misappropriation of company funds.

MC Mong did not separately respond to outreach from ‘PD Notebook’. Chairman Cha Gawon appeared on the program and said, “Not a single portion of company funds was used as personal money or for improper purposes. All was spent on production costs,” and added, “A corporation is a corporation and I am myself, so I do not understand why they will not separate me from the company.”

He denied all of the following: rumors of an affair with MC Mong; claims that gambling debts were repaid on another's behalf; allegations that 115 billion KRW in advance investment payments made to One Hundred labels Big Planet Made and INB100 was siphoned into a personal account for private use; and allegations of unpaid settlements to artists and staff.

On the day of the broadcast, Chairman Cha filed for an injunction to ban the airing and declared a strong response to the spread of false information, showing an extremely guarded stance toward the ‘PD Notebook’ program.

Even after the broadcast, representatives for Chairman Cha said they were “organizing additional statements” while rebutting the allegations raised through ‘PD Notebook’.

The legal representatives of Chairman Cha, in interviews with media outlets on the 3rd, countered, “It was not a gambling trip; production staff and a secretary all accompanied the visit in connection with a performance collaboration with a pop singer. If it had been an affair, would everyone have gone together?”

They also stressed, “With a posting-ban injunction on related articles already granted by the court, it has been legally established that the messenger contents were fabricated“.

Regarding the ‘PD Notebook’ broadcast, representatives for Chairman Cha also said, “Apart from the formal interview, the scene of sitting at a table and talking was clearly surreptitious filming (a hidden camera), and the audio was also an illegal recording. Rights to name, likeness, and voice were violated,” and explained the reason for filing an injunction to ban the broadcast. However, this injunction request was dismissed just before the broadcast.

The other party, MC Mong, likewise said on the 3rd, “They are reusing photos already subject to a court injunction,” and argued, “At the very least, they should have verified the truth with me.”

On the allegation of illegal overseas gambling trips, he further raised his voice, saying, “Interviews with taxi drivers and restaurant employees are nothing but hearsay. I truly will not endure this. It kills a person.” He also foreshadowed legal action against the production team in the range of 100 billion KRW.

There was the broadcast preview of ‘PD Notebook’, followed by rebuttals from Chairman Cha Gawon and MC Mong, then the broadcast of ‘PD Notebook’, and thereafter their counter-rebuttals. In the end, to settle the rights and wrongs through any form of investigation, complaints and accusations will have to follow. The ball has been passed back to the ‘PD Notebook’ side. The ‘PD Notebook’ team has not yet disclosed plans for follow-up reporting.