MC Mong has refuted the accusations related to the leaked transcript issue involving EXO members Kai and Baekhyun.
On the 19th, through his legal representative, MC Mong released a lengthy statement regarding the leaked transcript issue that surfaced on the 17th of July.
The legal representative stated that the audio transcript in question, which caused a stir on the 18th, was from a private conversation that took place about a year and six months ago between MC Mong and acquaintances, and was illegally recorded without the consent of the parties involved by an individual using the pseudonym “Ahn” (an alias). They further claimed that portions of the conversation were deliberately edited and spliced together to be used as a means of coercion. The transcript was subsequently used as a tool for a criminal act, and the edited content was disseminated and reported without giving any opportunity for rebuttal, which the legal representative deeply regrets.
Regarding the individual involved, known as Ahn and identified as the informant for the reports on the 18th, the legal representative stated that they had been in conflict with MC Mong and the artist from Big Planet Made since earlier this year. Ahn allegedly used the pseudonym “Jung Ho-young” to engage in months of coercion against the artist, the management company Big Planet Made, the CEO Park Jang-geun, and MC Mong. They also mentioned that Ahn had previously filed a complaint through separate legal representation on May 1st of this year for charges of coercion and other offenses.
The legal representative explained that the leaked transcript was cleverly assembled from a conversation that took place approximately 1 year and 6 months ago in January 2022, with MC Mong’s voice being the only part selectively edited. The mentions of Kai and Baekhyun accounted for only about a minute of the entire conversation, and the edited content had no relation to the disputes between “ChenBaekXi” and SM Entertainment in June 2023.
They emphasized that the transcript consisted mainly of casual and unfiltered personal expressions exchanged among MC Mong and his acquaintances over a conversation lasting about 2 hours. The representative claimed that certain excerpts were intentionally highlighted, lasting only about 3 to 4 seconds, which differed from the truth and were of a gossipy nature, including expressions of admiration for the artists. Moreover, the conversation covered various topics typical of casual discussions, such as updates on various artists, exaggerations or assumptions, light-hearted banter, or serious discussions about the realities of the music industry, which could naturally appear in any casual conversation.
The legal representative emphasized that MC Mong maintains close relationships with various artists beyond those mentioned in the transcript and often discusses issues related to music activities, the music industry as a whole, growth as artists, distribution issues, performance fees, and albums with junior artists on occasion.
During January 2022, when MC Mong was considering contract renewal and had various concerns, he had a chance to discuss music activities, growth as artists, and future prospects with the EXO members who contacted him with numerous inquiries. The legal representative stated that at that time, MC Mong realized that the EXO members were focusing solely on their independent and self-sustaining dreams as producers, leaving all domestic and international proposals behind, and in the process, any unnecessary or misunderstood remarks were avoided, and their friendship was maintained with occasional advice from the senior artist.
Additionally, the legal representative mentioned that in June 2023, when the events occurred, the EXO members had already resolved the disputes with SM through an external force. They confirmed that MC Mong and Big Planet Made were not involved in any negotiations and had no intention to do so, which was also verified and acknowledged by SM Entertainment. As a result, SM issued an official statement apologizing to MC Mong and Big Planet Made, among others, for misunderstanding the situation.
The legal representative concluded by stating that they plan to take strong action against the individual who illegally obtained the recorded transcript and further coerced MC Mong through secondary and tertiary illegal coercion after the opinions of prosecution were submitted to the police and the prosecutor’s office.
Source: (A)
