Seoul — World-famous Korean rapper Psy has spoken out on social media concerning rumours of the alleged involvement of Low Taek Hho, popularly known as Jho Low, in the K-pop sex scandal, which was reported in a Korean news programme last week.
A direct connection between the fugitive Malaysian businessman at the heart of the 1MDB scam and the K-pop sex scandal is rapper Psy, whose song “Gangnam Style” was an international hit that made him famous worldwide.
Psy was featured in the Barisan Nasional’s Chinese New Year open house in Penang in 2013, an appearance reportedly handled by Jynwel Capital Ltd, Mr Low’s flagship company. Psy was then under YG Entertainment but left the company to branch out on his own last year.
It was reported in Korea last week that Yang Hyun-suk, the head of YG Entertainment, threw dinners to procure sexual services for foreign investors in July 2014, including Mr Low, who has warrants in both Malaysia and the United States due to his connection to the 1MDB scandal, where over RM18.85 billion (S$6.2 billion) was siphoned from the state development fund.
But Psy has since spoken up. The rapper wrote on his Instagram account that he had indeed been friends with Mr. Low, and that he had had dinner with him and his friends when they visited Korea, but that he and Mr Yang had left the gathering early.
“Regardless of whether he was a good friend or not, it is clear that I was his friend.
When Jho Low and his friends visited Korea, Yang and I were invited to a dinner with them. We had the meal and drinks with other guests, and Yang and I left the table early.”
The rapper also said that he was the one who introduced Mr Yang to Mr Low, whom he described as someone big in Hollywood.
Concerning the dinner, Psy wrote, “At the time, I just thought it was a dinner gathering with a friend from afar. I apologise for causing concern.”
The Malaysian businessman’s legal representatives in the US denied the allegations. “Mr Low is a friend of Psy, and through him met Yang Hyun-suk. He was never involved in, nor aware of, any conduct of the kind alleged in the MBC report.”
On May 27, Monday, an episode of Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s programme Straight showed a witness saying that there were allegedly over 10 prostitutes from an adult entertainment firm connected with YG who met with Mr Low and another male investor from Thailand, Chavanos Rattakul.
After the dinner, Messrs Low and Chavanos reportedly went to one of Mr Yang’s clubs, NB. It was there that they were said to have been offered sexual services.
Sources who knew about Mr Yang’s meeting with the two investors, as well as the women who were reportedly involved, were interviewed on the show. The press in Korea have picked up on the story and have mentioned Mr Low in connection with the K-pop sex scandal.
Mr Chavanos has denied his involvement with YG Entertainment, While Mr Yang’s company has called these allegations “groundless.”
In a statement, YG Entertainment said, “Although Yang Hyun-suk was there at the invitation of his acquaintance, there were no solicitations of any form.”/ TISG
Read related: Jho Low implicated in K-pop sex scandal — Korean news report