![Kim Hae and Hwang Hee-chan [YouTube channel 'Jiritjirit', Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/21/news-p.v1.20261021.fc16fc733b2a4ba2882dc7943de7a1bc_P1.jpg)
South Korean national team footballer Hwang Hee-chan, 30, has been sued on fraud charges, with a luxury car service company alleging he received 42 vehicles under a sponsorship deal but never fulfilled his contractual obligation to promote the business.
Kim Hae, chief executive of VIP car service company Bahana, said in a recent appearance on the YouTube channel Jiritjirit that he filed a criminal complaint against Hwang with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Oct. 8.
The lawsuit is an extension of gapjil — abuse of power — allegations raised in February. Bahana said it signed a deal with Hwang's camp in 2024 under which the company would lend vehicles to the footballer in exchange for promotional posts on social media, but claimed Hwang's side never properly carried out those activities. The company had previously filed complaints against Hwang's uncle and agency officials — not Hwang himself — but police ruled in June that there were no grounds for charges. Bahana appealed that decision and has now filed a complaint directly against Hwang.
Kim said the complaint had long been decided upon but was delayed out of consideration for Hwang's schedule. "The filing had been set for some time, but the World Cup qualifying period, the transfer window and four consecutive international matches came one after another," he said. "We held off during that time as a minimum courtesy to a national team player."
Kim said the original contract, signed in August 2024, stipulated five vehicles, but that Hwang's camp repeatedly requested upgrades, resulting in a total of 42 cars — including supercars — being provided over the 15-month contract period. He presented text messages as evidence in which Hwang's side specified particular car models they wanted.
Yet Hwang never fulfilled the contract's core obligation of promoting the company on social media, Kim said. The contract, which Kim made public, included a clause requiring Hwang to post four Instagram updates explicitly naming Bahana — but he did not post a single one, Kim claimed.
"The Instagram promotion clause was essential because we planned to run our own advertising in sync with when Hwang posted," Kim said. "Hwang's side initially wanted to remove that clause, but we said there would be no point in proceeding with the contract without it, so it was included by mutual agreement." Kim said he had spent tens of millions of won producing an advertisement featuring Hwang ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but ultimately scrapped it after the promised social media promotion never materialized.
Kim said Hwang's desire to remove the promotion clause from the outset raised suspicions that he never intended to honor the contract. As evidence, Kim pointed out that Hwang had tagged brand names in Instagram posts for cosmetics, watches and sportswear, but posted photos of Bahana's vehicles without ever mentioning the company.
On why Hwang never named the company in those posts, Kim suggested it was to conceal the fact that the cars were sponsored. "Hwang disliked rental car plates — he sent messages saying any plate was fine as long as it wasn't a rental plate," Kim said, referring to the distinctive license plates assigned to rental vehicles in South Korea.
Kim also claimed that instead of paying an advertising fee, he bought a new car and gave it to Hwang's uncle.
Asked why Bahana kept providing vehicles even as Hwang's side failed to meet its obligations, Kim said he was strung along with promises. "There were sweet words like, 'Let's stay together until the World Cup — we'll make you our No. 1 promotional push at the World Cup,'" he said.
Kim acknowledged the gravity of the decision to file the complaint. "Filing a complaint against Hwang Hee-chan was not something I could do unless I was prepared to give up every VIP in the sports world," he said. "I want to restore the honor of my company and my family."
Hwang's camp has previously denied the company's claims. Hwang Hee-jeong, Hwang's older sister and chief executive of his agency BtheHC, said in February that the arrangement was a barter deal exchanging the footballer's image rights for complimentary car services, and that the partnership concluded by mutual agreement in October of that year after the contract expired in August 2025. On the promotional obligation, she said the agency had "communicated closely with the other party and never avoided any commitment." Hwang's camp has filed a counter-complaint against Bahana on charges of defamation through false statements and fraud.
paq@heraldcorp.com
