Celebrity trainer Yang Chi-seung, 51, who says he lost about 1.5 billion won in a commercial lease scam, appeared Oct. 13 as a reference witness at a National Assembly audit before the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, urging lawmakers to act. He spotlighted how loopholes in Korea’s build-and-donate system were exploited and condemned a setup that, in his words, turns victims into criminals.
Taking the stand in a suit, Yang recounted opening a gym in 2019 in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam, pouring billions of won into renovations. In November 2022, he was forced to shut down after an eviction order from the Gangnam District Office. The property, he explained, had been constructed as a public facility under a donation-on-completion arrangement, where a private developer can use the building for a set period before handing it over to the state or local government.
When the 20-year free-use period ended and control shifted to the Gangnam District Office, existing leases were voided. Asked whether he’d been warned by the district office, the landlord or the realtor about the building’s status, Yang said, "None of the tenants were informed. We were told we could sign, and we assumed government oversight meant extra safety ― but the opposite happened. The district accused us of unauthorized use of public property, and most tenants were treated like criminals."
Yang estimated his losses at a 350 million won deposit plus build-out and equipment costs, totaling about 1.5 billion won. He said 16 businesses were affected, with overall damages around 4 billion won.
"I’m not here just to air my grievances. I’m here because too many people are hurting," he said. "There were too many lies and tricks. When a property transfers to the public sector, tenants should be protected ― but they weren’t. If developers collude with officials, you get a new kind of lease scam. People are staring down bankruptcy while being branded as criminals."
In response, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport acknowledged shortcomings in tenant protections within private-investment projects.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)