Actor-singer Rain (real name Jung Ji-hoon) has refuted allegations of an 8.5 billion KRW real estate scam, calling it an attempt to tarnish a celebrity’s reputation. On September 25, his agency, RAIN Company, posted on their official SNS, stating, “The claims related to Rain are false.” They added, “The seller is merely trying to tarnish his reputation excessively just because he is a celebrity.”
@diaryofakpopstan Then vs now. Why doesn’t he age?! #rain #rainism #kpoptiktok #irishkpop #kpopedit #fyp
Rain vs. Mr. A
The real estate scam suspicions surrounding Rain came to light through a video released by a YouTuber named Guje Yeok. In the video, Guje Yeok conveyed the stance of informant Mr. A. The latter claimed, “I sued Rain for a real estate scam worth 8.5 billion KRW.”
According to the video, Mr. A had a deal to sell his building in Hwaseong Namyang New Town, Gyeonggi Province, and buy Rain‘s residence in Itaewon, Seoul. During this process, Mr. A expressed his intention to visit Rain‘s residence, but Rain declined due to privacy concerns and only showed photos. Mr. A, who liked the house in the photos, trusted Rain because he is a celebrity and the real estate agency was a big company, finalized the contract. However, Mr. A claimed that the actual building was completely different from the photos shown by the real estate agency.
In response, Mr. A reportedly filed a lawsuit against Rain at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul last month on fraud charges under the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes Act.
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One controversy after another
Rain’s career, while successful, has been marred by one controversy after another. As a celebrity soldier, Rain was caught in a string of controversies during his service. Once, he and several other active duty soldiers were filmed wearing civilian clothes, using cell phones, and drinking alcohol. The year before, Rain also came under fire following reports of going on dates while on duty.
Earlier this year, he attended KCON LA as a performing guest. While Rain showed off his usual dancing and singing skills, including his firm physique by going topless, the audience members were surprisingly quiet throughout the performance. Some reportedly turned off their light sticks. One netizen speculated that this is because all idol groups managed by Rain end up disbanded or mismanaged.
For context, Rain is known for having actively promoted and trained the idol group MBLAQ, whose music show trophies ended up on sale in flea markets, which angered fans. Recently, Dohwan, Tag, Tan, and Won of Ciipher—another group managed and promoted by Rain—left the group. The remaining three members’ futures remain up in the air. And now, this real estate issue has cropped up.
@.kpop_multiverse RAIN BLACK OCEAN (almost) AT KCON LA #kconla2023 #kpop #fypシ
Strong legal action
Rain‘s side has completely refuted Mr. A’s claims. The agency stated, “It’s nonsensical to think someone would buy a house worth tens of billions of won based only on photos. Even if you only look at the building register or the building ledger provided or checked when buying and selling real estate, the buyer’s claims are invalid. You can verify it by looking at the house’s exterior.”
They continued, “We have already secured evidence that the buyer’s claims are untrue. If the buyer files a lawsuit based on false facts, we will submit evidence according to legal procedures. We can only see that the buyer is maliciously tarnishing the reputation.”
Furthermore, they emphasized, “The facts of this case are very clear, and the buyer’s claims are completely disconnected from common sense and reality. We will take strong legal action against such acts targeting celebrities and set a precedent to ensure that such false propaganda and victimization do not occur again.” – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: Rain is facing another controversy. Source: X/@cloudjjhph_.
