Busan KCC has filed a police report against officials from Daegu Korea Gas Corporation, claiming that the club's reputation has been damaged amid a tax dispute involving player Ra Gun-ah.
On June 24, KCC submitted a complaint to the Seocho Police Station in Seoul against two officials from Korea Gas Corporation for alleged defamation through published materials.
KCC explained, "This action follows Korea Gas Corporation's serious damage to our club's reputation during their dispute with the Korean Basketball League (KBL) regarding Ra Gun-ah's taxes, as well as their refusal to address our demands for clarification and apology, which constitutes secondary harm."
The conflict began in May 2024 when the KBL board of directors changed Ra Gun-ah's status from a naturalized player to a regular foreign player. The board decided that the club acquiring Ra Gun-ah would be responsible for his comprehensive income tax for that year. However, after Korea Gas Corporation acquired Ra Gun-ah for the 2025-2026 season, they failed to pay the taxes as stipulated, leading to complications.
Ultimately, Ra Gun-ah paid the taxes himself and filed a lawsuit against his former team, KCC, for the return of undue profits. In response, the KBL imposed a fine of 30 million won on Korea Gas Corporation and stripped them of their first-round draft pick for the upcoming season due to their non-compliance with the board's decision. Korea Gas Corporation subsequently filed for a temporary injunction in court against the sanctions.
The tension escalated as Korea Gas Corporation pursued the injunction. On June 9, they claimed through the media that KCC had exerted influence on the KBL board to unjustly shift the responsibility for Ra Gun-ah's taxes onto them. KCC responded on June 10, stating that Korea Gas Corporation's allegations were "absurd conspiracy theories" and clear defamation, demanding a clarification and apology. They emphasized that the tax issue had been resolved through a consensus among all ten teams in a completely normal process.
However, on June 11, Korea Gas Corporation reportedly only expressed regret over some media coverage in a letter to KCC. KCC criticized this response, stating, "Korea Gas Corporation has avoided providing a clear explanation and apology, instead opting for vague remarks that only sidestep the issue."
KCC added, "This can only be perceived as secondary harm to our club. Furthermore, despite objective evidence confirming that Korea Gas Corporation's claims are clearly false, they have not changed their position." KCC concluded, "Through this police report, we sincerely hope that Korea Gas Corporation's misconduct is rectified, allowing common sense and reason to be respected, and that sportsmanship thrives as professional basketball continues to develop."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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