Hwang Hee-chan [Newsis]
Hwang Hee-chan [Newsis]

The agency representing South Korean national team footballer Hwang Hee-chan has pushed back against fraud allegations after a luxury vehicle service company accused the 30-year-old of accepting 42 supercars and other vehicles under a promotional contract without fulfilling his SNS marketing obligations.

Hwang's agency, Be the HCC Corporation, said in an official statement Thursday that "a significant portion of the key claims the other party has been making through the media differ from the actual facts."

The agency added that the other party had expressed gratitude when the contract ended — indicating the two sides had parted on amicable terms — yet had since made claims through the media that contradicted those circumstances. "We have secured sufficient objective evidence to verify the facts of the other party's claims, including recordings that confirm the details of the discussions between both sides at the time the contract ended, and we will make the true facts clear," it said.

The agency said it had initially sought to avoid unnecessary public disputes until a legal ruling was reached, but decided it could no longer stand by as one-sided claims spread and began to be accepted as fact.

Earlier, Vahana, the VIP vehicle service company, alleged that it had provided Hwang with a total of 42 vehicles over roughly 15 months but that he had not fulfilled his contractual obligation to promote the company on social media even once.

The company also said it had suffered considerable losses due to frequent vehicle changes and damage.

In response, Hwang's side filed a complaint against the company on Feb. 24.

The complaint alleged that after the contract ended, the company had used the footballer's likeness without authorization, and accused it of spreading false information, defamation and fraud.

Hwang's side said it plans to release relevant materials and details of the facts in stages through its official blog within the bounds permitted by law, and to reveal the truth through legal proceedings.

The agency also warned it would take a firm stance against false information and malicious posts circulating online.


yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com