Lee Seung Gi's $6 Million Jeonse Deposit Dispute with Cha Ga Won

South Korean actor Lee Seung Gi is pursuing the return of a jeonse deposit of 10.5 billion won (about €6 million) that he paid for a luxury villa in Hannam‑dong, Seoul, owned by Cha Ga Won, chair of the firm One Hundred. The lease ended on 6 August, but the deposit – including a 7.3 billion‑won bank loan of roughly €4.6 million – has not been refunded. Lee’s lawyers allege that Cha Ga Won and her husband induced the loan and then diverted the funds, describing the promise of repayment as “a simple promise without value.”

Cha Ga Won was detained on 3 August on serious fraud charges, and prosecutors allege a scheme to defraud Lee and other artists. The actor may file a lawsuit, seek enforcement or force an auction of the property, which is also reportedly at risk of tax‑authority seizure. The dispute highlights the risks of high‑value jeonse contracts in South Korea.