BTOB’s Lee Changsub reveals 110 million (about 72,350 USD) embezzlement case at his music academy

BTOB member Lee Changsub shared that he was a victim of embezzlement involving a music academy he operates in Suwon.

On May 22, a video titled 'How to Never Fall for a Rental Scam' was uploaded to the his YouTube channel. In the episode, Lee visited a law office for a day of experience, where he unexpectedly opened up about a past financial dispute.

During the visit, Changsub remarked, “So these are places where people who need lawyers come, right? I actually want to file a case myself. Against a scammer,” drawing attention from those present.

When the production team asked if there really was a scam case, he revealed, “I was scammed at my academy.” Changsub, who currently runs a practical music academy in Suwon, explained the situation in detail, saying, “There was an academy I was operating. Since I had to manage the corporation, I was putting in money every month in the beginning. There was a representative handling the academy’s daily operations, but that person didn’t pay the staff salaries and spent the money freely.”

He continued, “Because of unpaid expenses, I ended up having to cover hundreds of millions of KRW. The amount they misused was about 110 million (about 72,350 USD), so I asked them to repay it. They agreed, signed documents, even stamped them, and sent 1 million KRW (about 657 USD) in the first month. But after that, nothing else came in.”

After hearing the case, the lawyer explained that the issue may constitute embezzlement rather than simple fraud, stating that funds entrusted for business use were misappropriated by someone in a managerial position. He added that even if some repayment is made later, it does not erase the legal responsibility if embezzlement has already occurred.

When Changsub asked whether the person was still legally liable, the lawyer confirmed that they were, suggesting that legal action could still proceed. Changsub responded humorously, as if ready to “go catch them immediately,” which lightened the mood in the studio.