G-Dragon Hires Top Lawyer For Drug Case; Could Spend ₩2 Billion On Fees

South Korean superstar G-Dragon is preparing for a legal battle following reports of his alleged use of illegal marijuana and has hired a top gun lawyer in South Korea to represent him.

The 35-year-old former BigBang member recently faced allegations of drug use after authorities revealed that he got booked for an alleged drug-related violation by the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency. Though the police did not disclose further details, it was reported that it could be related to a case where he was allegedly found inhaling marijuana at a club in Japan in 2011 but was not formally prosecuted.

Since drug cases are a big issue in South Korea, G-Dragon — real name Kwon Ji-young — has hired one of the top lawyers in the country to take on his case.

Per journalist turned YouTuber Jin-ho Lee, the rapper's lead lawyer was a former judge of the Constitutional Court during the presidential impeachment case back in 2018, according to an excerpt obtained by Newsis. This was when former president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in prison after being found guilty of abuse of power, coercion and bribery.

G-Dragon, however, would have to shell out a huge sum of money for his case. The YouTuber revealed that law firms often charge about KRW 1 billion ($739,180) for cases involving famous celebrities. But it could also vary depending on the person; the minimum charge is KRW 500 million ($369,587). In the rapper's case, he might have to pay about KRW 2 billion ($1.5 million), especially if the matter was "too legally unfavorable." International Business Times couldn't independently verify this information.

Jin-ho Lee also gave an update during his live broadcast about how G-Dragon reacted to the news of being booked on the alleged illegal use of drugs, revealing that the latter found out through social media and has yet to be contacted by the police.

G-Dragon previously revealed via his legal representative that the allegations against him were untrue.

"This is Kwon Ji Yong. First, there is no truth to the [claim] that I have taken drugs. Additionally, I have no relation to the news reports about the violation of the Act on the Control of Narcotics, etc... that was recently revealed in the media. However, because I know many people are concerned, I will actively cooperate with police investigations and will participate even more diligently," he said.