Park Gyuri, a member of the group Kara, appeared as a witness in the trial of her ex-boyfriend Song Ja-ho, the CEO of Pika Project, who is accused of fraud, and stated, "I had no involvement," amidst claims of false testimony.
On the 22nd, imbc reported, citing Pika Project's side, that Park Gyuri's claims are "unreliable one-sided assertions," stating that she not only received compensation equivalent to the 60 million won loss but also gained several tens of millions.
According to the media, Seong Hae-jung, the CEO of Pika Project, pointed out that Park Gyuri's investment in Pika Coin was a personal choice and stated, "(The company's delisting) was primarily due to the end of trading support from Upbit, which caused a price crash." He emphasized that there was no coercion during the investment process.
Additionally, Seong's side revealed KakaoTalk messages exchanged between Park Gyuri and CEO Song, indicating her involvement. In the disclosed conversation, Park Gyuri asks Song, "Ja-ho, when will the deposit be possible?" demanding compensation for her losses. To this, Song replied, "By the end of this month." Park Gyuri also stated, "It wasn't 50 million, it was a total of 60 million, and if there's a difference left, I'll let you know then. Thank you for your concern."
Regarding this part, CEO Seong explained, "CEO Song felt sorry for his ex-girlfriend Park Gyuri and compensated her."
The media reported that Park Gyuri received additional valuables worth about 60 million won while dating CEO Song. Furthermore, CEO Seong claimed that Park Gyuri directly received 26 million won in sales proceeds, asserting that she participated in coin investments herself.
In relation to this, Park Gyuri's side cautiously stated to Maeil Business Star Today, "Cannot confirm personal life."
Park Gyuri has been in a public relationship with CEO Song since 2019 but broke up in 2021. After CEO Song became embroiled in fraud allegations, Park Gyuri, who worked as a curator and chief promoter for the company, was investigated as a witness by the prosecution.
CEO Song was indicted in July 2023 on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (fraud), breach of trust, obstruction of business, and violation of the Capital Markets Act. He is accused of soliciting investors to invest in unsecuritized artworks and manipulating the market price of the virtual asset 'Pika Coin.'
On the 16th, Park Gyuri appeared as a witness in the trial related to the fraud case, stating, "I started working believing it was an art exhibition and joint purchase business related to the Pika Project gallery in early 2020," and revealed that she worked for a year as a curator and promotional manager. She claimed, "I had no knowledge of virtual assets. I have never participated in or profited from illegal coin businesses."
She reiterated her denial of involvement, stating, "Regarding coin deposits and withdrawals, they were mostly made at the request of Song Ja-ho, and I either returned them immediately after depositing or transferred them; I have never profited from coins."
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
