Cha Ga-won denies fraud charges in first trial

Cha Ga-won, CEO of entertainment agency One Hundred and Chairman of P-Ark Group, denied all fraud charges during her first trial at the Seoul Central District Court. Cha is accused of receiving 24.2 billion won in advance payments from the company Nomus by proposing business deals involving the intellectual property of her agency's artists, which prosecutors allege she failed to execute.

Additionally, Cha faces charges regarding a 5.4 billion won deposit related to a residential lease agreement with an acquaintance. Her legal team argues that these disputes are matters of contract disagreement rather than criminal fraud, suggesting that the allegations arose during a hostile takeover attempt.

The legal issues surrounding One Hundred follow the departure of co-founder MC Mong and have led to multiple legal disputes. Several artists previously or currently associated with the agency, including members of The Boyz, Lee Seung-gi, and EXO members Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin, have reportedly sought to terminate their exclusive contracts citing unpaid settlements.