"Loan of 7.3 billion won, landlord 'arrested'"... Lee Seung-ki and Lee Da-in face sudden blow as their 10.5 billion won lease nears expiration [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

What will happen to the 10.5 billion won lease deposit of celebrity couple Lee Seung-ki (39) and Lee Da-in (34)?

Cha Ga-won, chairperson of the PIA Group and the "landlord" of this couple, was arrested on the 3rd on suspicion of fraud involving an amount in the hundreds of billions of won. Cha is also the representative of One Hundred Label, the parent company of Big Planet Made Entertainment, Lee Seung-ki's former agency.

Cha faces charges of violating the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud). The allegations include proposing a business utilizing the intellectual property (IP) of affiliated entertainers and receiving an advance payment of 24.2 billion won without fulfilling the business, as well as arranging lease contracts with acquaintances but failing to return approximately 5 billion won in deposits. In response, Judge Kim Min-seok of the Seoul Central District Court's warrant division issued an arrest warrant for Cha, stating there is "a risk of evidence destruction."

Among these developments, attention is focused on whether Lee Seung-ki will receive his 10.5 billion won lease deposit back as his global lease contract expires this month. Earlier, in 2024, the couple had signed a lease agreement for a high-end villa located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, owned by Cha and her spouse, for a deposit of 10.5 billion won.

Subsequently, Lee Seung-ki's side has claimed to be victims of "lease fraud," arguing that Cha demanded a lease fee higher than market value and promised to cover loan interest burdens but failed to honor these commitments. In contrast, Cha's side countered that the amount was appropriately set through an appraisal process and that Lee Seung-ki fully understood and agreed to the contract terms.

Whether Lee Seung-ki will receive his deposit back depends on the property's legal status and Cha's ability to repay. It is reported that Lee Seung-ki has already registered a leasehold right for 10.5 billion won on the property. A leaseholder can actively exercise rights, such as requesting an auction of the property if they do not receive their deposit back after the contract ends, more so than ordinary tenants. However, even with a registered leasehold right, full recovery of the deposit is not guaranteed.

Lee Seung-ki may pursue legal procedures including a lawsuit for return of the lease deposit, forced execution, and auction, but it is expected to take considerable time to recover the funds. Of the 10.5 billion won, approximately 7.3 billion won was obtained through loans; thus, the longer the repayment is delayed, the greater the burden of loan interest costs becomes. If the deposit is not returned, there is also a possibility that Lee Seung-ki may have to repay the loan directly to financial institutional investors.

Meanwhile, Lee Seung-ki and Lee Da-in married in 2023, welcomed their first child the following year, and embraced their second son in July of this year. Lee Da-in is the daughter of actress Kwon Mi-ri and the younger sister of singer Lee Yu-bi.

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*This content was translated by AI.