Official statement from the side of Hwang Hee-chan, who was sued on fraud charges: "A significant portion of the opposing party's claims differs from the facts; we will reveal the truth through legal proceedings"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The side of national team footballer Hwang Hee-chan (Schalke 04), who was sued on fraud charges by a ceremonial vehicle service company, claimed that "a significant portion of the key claims raised by the opposing party through the media differs from the actual facts."

Hwang Hee-chan's side issued an official statement on the 22nd, stating, "Our company (Bider H.C. Corporation) has secured sufficient objective materials to verify the truthfulness of the opposing party's claims, including recordings that can confirm the course of negotiations between both parties at the time of contract termination. In response, we filed a complaint on February 24, 2026."

Hwang Hee-chan's side explained, "In particular, the opposing party had expressed gratitude in a manner suggesting that an amicable agreement was reached at the time of contract termination. However, since they have subsequently raised claims through the media that contradict the circumstances at that time, our company intends to clearly clarify the contradiction between this change in stance and the actual facts through objective materials."

They continued, "Initially, we refrained from unnecessary public debate until a legal judgment was rendered; however, we determined that we could no longer stand by while one-sided claims were repeatedly spread and accepted as fact. Accordingly, we plan to sequentially disclose relevant materials and facts within the lawful scope through our official blog, and we will reveal the truth through future legal proceedings," they emphasized.

Hwang Hee-chan's side warned, "We are also proceeding with strict legal action against unfounded dissemination of false information, defamation, malicious posts, and comments directed at player Hwang Hee-chan and related personnel." They added, "However, we ask fans to refrain from directly tracking or mentioning/spreading the opposing party's personal information or past conduct online in relation to this matter. We will address this issue through the materials we have secured and legal proceedings. We sincerely apologize for causing concern to fans who care for player Hwang Hee-chan. Our company will do its utmost to protect the player and restore his reputation."

Previously, the ceremonial vehicle service company claimed that despite providing a total of 42 vehicles over approximately 15 months under a promotional contract with Hwang Hee-chan, the social media (SNS) promotion, which was a condition of the contract, was not fulfilled, resulting in significant losses due to frequent vehicle replacements and damage. They sued Hwang Hee-chan on fraud charges. In response, Hwang Hee-chan's side counter-sued the company for defamation through false facts and fraud, alleging that the company had used the player's portrait rights without authorization even after the contract ended.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original