One Hundred CEO Cha Ga-won returned to court on November 3 for the second hearing in his fraud case, with the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 23 resuming proceedings over allegations worth around 30 billion won.
Cha, who also chairs the Piaark Group, was indicted in custody on August 25 on charges of fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crime Investigation Unit had referred him to prosecutors in custody on August 7, according to Star News.
Prosecutors allege Cha proposed a business using his agency artists’ intellectual property to the company Nomus, signed a contract, and received 24.2 billion won in advance payments without ever carrying out the business. The total scale of the alleged damage is reported at around 30 billion won.
At the first hearing, prosecutors detailed the Nomus claims: 5.5 billion won for a promised Taemin concert contract, another 5.5 billion won for Taemin merchandise distribution rights, 12.1 billion won for ChenBaekXi merchandise production and distribution, and 1.1 billion won for a business tied to fromis_9.
A separate allegation covers 5.4 billion won in jeonse deposits, which prosecutors say Cha received under a mutual lease agreement with an acquaintance that he never honored. His side asked the court to dismiss a compensation order filed by the alleged victim, identified only as Jang, while Jang’s side argued the villa involved could not cover the loss.
Cha’s defense has denied all charges, describing the case as part of a hostile merger and acquisition scheme targeting One Hundred. At the first hearing, Cha appeared in custody wearing black clothing and a mask.
Cha co-founded One Hundred with MC Mong in 2023; unpaid settlement disputes have since led to contract terminations, lawsuits, and a separate 12 billion won loan claim by Cha against MC Mong.
No verdict was reported from the November 3 hearing. With the defense’s evidence positions still to be presented, the case now moves toward further hearings where the two sides will argue over the records at the heart of the prosecution’s claims.
