Comedian Park Na-rae's former manager has been arrested on suspicion of attempted extortion.
On the 21st, according to MBC, the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul detained Park Na-rae's former manager, identified as A, on July 16 on charges including attempted extortion. A allegedly pressured Park by threatening to "expose false information" and demanded a large sum of money.
Police found that A claimed "Park Na-rae used company funds for personal purposes for her ex-boyfriend and others," and demanded an amount equal to 10% of the company's 2024 revenue. A is also suspected of siphoning off about 30 million won in company money.
Previously, Park Na-rae and the former manager had traded lawsuits over various allegations. The ex-manager's side accused Park of power abuse and illegal conduct, but Park's side refuted them as baseless. Park's side then countersued A for attempted extortion and for embezzlement under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Economic Crimes, taking a hardline stance.
Police also plan to refer two additional former managers, besides A, to the prosecution later today.
With the ex-manager's arrest, the conflict has entered a new chapter. As the case brought by Park's side over attempted extortion and embezzlement moves into the prosecutorial stage, attention now turns to the upcoming findings.