If you’ve been in K-pop long enough, you know the strange weight that comes when a name you’ve cherished shows up in the news for all the wrong reasons. This time, it’s an investigation against G-Dragon along with YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk over a song he recorded at just 13 years old. Fast forward 24 years later, a police raid at YG Entertainment has brought that old song back into the center of a K-pop legal controversy, sparking intense reactions from fans.
Now, the deeper you read, the harder it is not to ask: why is this happening now? Join the discussion below.
New Investigation Against G-Dragon & Yang Hyun Suk: What Happened?
On August 12, Seoul’s Mapo Police Station confirmed they are investigating G-Dragon and YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk for alleged copyright infringement.
According to the police, the case began when an unidentified composer filed a complaint in November 2024. The composer claims his track, titled “G-DRAGON,” was altered into “My Age Is 13” and included as part of a medley in G-Dragon’s 2009 “Shine a Light” live concert album.
The medley — officially credited as “My Age Is 13 + Storm + Hip Hop Gentlemen + G-Dragon” — was recorded during the concert and later released as a live album.
Investigators have carried out two search and seizure operations so far, one reportedly targeting YG Entertainment’s headquarters. For now, no official statement from YG has been released.
YG Entertainment Police Raid: Why Fans Aren’t Taking the Headlines at Face Value
If you’re outside Korea, the term “police raid” probably sounds like something out of a drama. You may be imagining those flashing lights, tense confrontations, SWAT soldiers breaking down doors and screaming, “Get down on the floor!” or “Put your hands behind your head!”
Well, sorry to break it to you, but not at all.
In South Korea, this police raid, including the one at the YG Entertainment office, also covers a procedural step: officers arriving to collect hard drives or documents to prevent data loss. It’s still serious, but it does notalways mean guilt.
Even so, the news of a YG Entertainment police raid involving G-Dragon was never going to pass quietly. It has stirred reactions from K-pop fans that go far beyond curiosity, especially when the timing is too pointed, coming so soon after G-Dragon’s celebrated return to music.
And among these K-pop fan reactions, you’ll find two dominant threads — those who think the case is far too deliberate, and those who believe a warrant means there must be legal grounds.
Korean netizens have voiced both sides of the debate:
- “The timing is the pettiest part — right before his comeback?”
- “If they went this far, there must be a reason.”
- “It’s a 2001 song, performed live in 2009… why dig it up now?”
G-Dragon and The Song That Became the Center of a 2025 Investigation
To understand why this case feels so unusual, you have to rewind to 2001. G-Dragon was 13 — still years away from debut — when he recorded “My Age Is 13.”
In 2009, during his first solo concert, he performed it briefly as a nostalgic throwback, weaving it into a medley with two other tracks.
This performance was recorded for a live album, which was never registered for individual copyright royalties. In industry practice, live medleys like this are credited collectively, without generating income for each fragment of a song.
That’s why many fans see this dispute as baffling. How does a performance from 24 years ago, captured on a live album from 16 years ago, suddenly spark a legal complaint now?
And more importantly, what changed to make it happen in 2025?
A Sudden Police Raid at YG Entertainment? The Timing is Just…Off
Even in K-pop’s fiercely competitive world, disputes over decades-old performances are extremely rare. That is why the timing of both the investigation and police raid against G-Dragon and YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk fuels so much speculation.
That is why some theories have already started circulating among fans and industry observers:
- An intentional move following G-Dragon’s return to the spotlight?
- A calculated legal issue designed to pressure YG Entertainment?
- Wider scrutiny of YG Entertainment leadership following the previous investigation against Yang Hyun Suk? Or
- A financial push dressed up as a copyright claim?
None of these has been confirmed, of course. However, the proximity to G-Dragon’s career milestones is hard to overlook.
After all, in K-pop, timing isn’t just a coincidence. It’s a strategy.
Why G-Dragon and Yang Hyun Suk Investigation Hits Differently This Time
There have been several legal controversies in K-pop, especially surrounding G-Dragon and YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk, these past few years. But this one just hits differently.
The moment you hear that the police had reportedly raided YG Entertainment’s office, you probably scoffed and remembered once again how quickly an artist’s legacy can be reframed by headlines.
Need to remind you that G-Dragon is beyond a regular K-pop celebrity. He is the King of K-pop himself, the very icon who helped define an era. Some of you actually grew up alongside this K-pop legend. His music has probably defined you in the past—a soundtrack of your own youth.
That’s why seeing him pulled into a legal battle over a moment from his teenage years feels strangely personal.
And there’s an unsettling reminder here: if something as fleeting as a live medley can be dug up decades later to trigger an investigation, then the past is never really “finished” for an artist.
What You Should Be Watching as the Case Unfolds
Right now, the investigation against G-Dragon and YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun Suk is still in motion. No charges have been filed, and that means you’re standing in the same place as every other fan — waiting for pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.
Here’s what to keep on your radar:
- A direct statement from YG Entertainment that finally addresses the allegations head-on.
- Clear confirmation of who actually holds the copyright to “My Age Is 13.”
- Any sign that the investigation could expand to cover older recordings or performances.
- Hints of behind-the-scenes negotiations, or whether this will head straight into court.
For now, you’re not going to get all the answers — and maybe you won’t for a while. But even without them, you can already see what’s really on the table: how K-pop protects its creative work, how the industry decides which parts of its past to honor or bury, and how quickly an old memory can be reshaped into something else.
And you’re not watching this from the sidelines. You’re part of the same fandom that will talk about this moment years from now, the ones who will decide whether it’s remembered as just another case file or as a turning point in how K-pop handles its own history.
Your Thoughts?
So what do you think? Do you also believe that the YG Entertainment police raid and investigation against both G-Dragon and Yang Hyun Suk means something else? Or there might just be a good reason? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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