MC Mong Denies Allegations of Illegal Gambling Head-On… “Gambling With Company Money? Track My Account” Angered

Singer MC Mong (47, Shin Dong-hyun) said he felt wronged after recent allegations surfaced over his alleged illegal gambling using company funds, and he pushed back head-on.

On the 18th, during a personal live broadcast, MC Mong shared his position in an agitated tone about various suspicions surrounding him. He questioned, “What do you mean illegal gambling?” and strongly denied the allegations, saying, “Who would gamble illegally with company money? I can’t even understand the idea of it—how could anyone gamble using company funds?”

■ Allegations of Misusing Funds From a Co-Founded Company: “I Welcome You to Trace My Account” Sets the Stage

This controversy was raised in connection with the flow of funds of an entertainment agency that MC Mong was previously involved with. MC Mong co-founded the entertainment company “OneHundred” together with Chairman Cha Gawon of the Piac Group in 2023, but he suddenly left the company in July of last year. Since then, online and in parts of the industry, rumors have circulated that he allegedly misused company funds for illegal gambling.

In response, MC Mong said, “If you trace the source of the money, everything will come out,” adding, “I really hope you’ll transparently check my account as well.” Earlier that day, he also focused public attention by saying on his social networking service (SNS), “I’ll talk about everything related to the past events and everything involving me,” while previewing a full airing of his feelings and an exposure.

■ Mentions a Military Exemption Controversy From 14 Years Ago… “Most Regret Reading the Press Conference Script”

In the broadcast, MC Mong also opened up about the 2010 incident in which he took the biggest hit to his entertainment career—the allegation that he deliberately pulled out a tooth to obtain a military service exemption. At the time, after a long series of legal battles, he received a final not-guilty ruling in 2012 at the Supreme Court on the charge of deliberate tooth removal (violation of the Military Service Act), but he had to stop broadcasting activities for a long time amid cold public scrutiny.

Recalling the past, MC Mong bowed his head and said, “One of the most regrettable things in my life was how I responded to that military service malpractice situation.” He added, “I regret so much what I did back then—I shed tears at the press conference and simply looked at and read the script that the lawyers had prepared, word for word,” blaming himself for not handling the situation externally with sincerity.

■ “I Was Naturally a Person in Exempt-Eligible Condition” Claim… Public Opinion Still Divided

In particular, MC Mong expressed his sense of unfairness by arguing that even if the deliberate tooth removal was not the case, he would have been eligible for military exemption due to his physical condition. He said, “I had injuries to my posterior cruciate ligament, as well as a lumbar disc herniation and a cervical disc herniation,” and emphasized, “Even just with these conditions alone, I was a person whose body status was sufficient to be exempt from serving in the military.”