K-pop star and actress Park Gyuri has been named as a witness in the ongoing cryptocurrency fraud trial involving her former partner, who is facing a range of serious financial crime charges.
According to Sports Kyunghyang, Park Gyuri is expected to testify in court on Wednesday as part of the trial proceedings at Seoul Southern District Court. The case centers on her ex-boyfriend, a former executive at an art-linked cryptocurrency venture, who was indicted last year for allegedly orchestrating a large-scale investment fraud.
While Park Gyuri is currently overseas, it remains uncertain whether she will attend the trial in person. If she does appear, her testimony will be heard in a closed session, given the sensitivity of the case.
Her former partner was arrested in July 2023 on multiple charges, including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, breach of trust, obstruction of business, and violations of the Capital Markets Act. Prosecutors allege he solicited investments in artwork that didn’t exist and artificially manipulated the value of a cryptocurrency known as “P Coin.”
Park Gyuri and the businessman publicly confirmed their relationship in 2019 before ending things in 2021. During their time together, Park Gyuri had worked as a curator and public relations manager for the company associated with the crypto project, leading to her brief questioning by authorities as part of the broader investigation.
At the time, Park Gyuri’s representatives emphasized that she had no involvement in the fraudulent activities under investigation and received no financial benefit from the cryptocurrency dealings. They reiterated her willingness to cooperate fully with legal proceedings.
Park Gyuri, who debuted as a child actress and later rose to stardom as the leader of the second-generation K-pop group KARA, is preparing to rejoin the group for its upcoming Japanese arena tour, Karasia: Magical World, which is set to kick off this August in Kobe. KARA is best known for their string of hits, including “Pretty Girl,” “Honey,” “Mr.,” “Jumpin’,” and “Mamma Mia.”
