Yang Hongwon Admits Motel Visit Five Days After Wedding, Agency Cries Extortion

Yang Hongwon's agency has admitted the rapper went to a motel with another woman, five days after his wedding, while flatly denying an affair. AP Alchemy says the man who exposed it was shaking the couple down for cash, and it has filed a criminal complaint on three counts: extortion, violating the stalking punishment act and defamation by false statements.

The accuser, identified only as A, posted on Instagram on the 23rd that a "newlywed groom" had gone to a motel with a woman. He then shared the face and account of the woman he said was with him, plus a screenshot of a direct message he sent to Yang's wife, Won Hyunju. The message said he had something to say about her husband.

A also released what he presented as a call with Yang from the 22nd. In it he says he needs "pocket money" and asks if Yang remembers Suwon. Yang answers by telling him not to do bad things and asking if he came to the wedding. A teased more, posting what appeared to be footage from Suwon with a caption hinting at further reveals.

What the agency says happened

AP Alchemy's statement, issued the same day after talks with Yang and the woman, calls A's materials "maliciously edited." Its account runs like this: Yang met A by chance and drank at A's home after a show. A then demanded they leave and told them to go to a motel he picked. Yang, badly drunk, went to find somewhere to sleep, and the woman, with nowhere to go, followed.

The agency says Yang fell asleep as soon as he entered the room. The woman tried to wake him, felt uneasy about possible physical contact, called A for help and went home with him. It concedes the motel visit but insists there was "no affection whatsoever" in the room.

The agency says A later fell into financial trouble, edited earlier conversations and demanded money. After Yang and the woman went to the police, A allegedly stitched together chats and calls again and went public. AP Alchemy says no money was ever paid and that it is collecting tips from A's acquaintances to prove the exposé was planned. It also warned of legal action against people spreading the claims in posts and comments.

The accuser's own words

A did his case no favors on an Instagram Live. He asked whether loyalty pays the bills, said dropping a bit of it would change an account balance, and told viewers to judge for themselves. Asked if he just wanted attention, he said: "Attention plus money." He added that his follower count had climbed during the broadcast. Another person said to have been present that night also called it a scheme to squeeze out money. A has since deleted his social media account.

None of A's claims has been independently verified, and the agency's account is likewise its own. Fans noticed one more thing: Yang and Won's accounts are no longer following each other, which neither side has explained.

Yang won Mnet's High School Rapper in 2017 and later built his name on Show Me the Money. He announced the birth of a daughter in November 2024 and married Won, a former model, on the 18th. Reports say they dated for about eight years.